The Spectacular Upside Down Blood Orange Cake
For the oranges
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2-3 blood oranges, sliced thinly using a mandolin or knife
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1 cup/220g/7.7ozs caster or superfine sugar
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1/2 cup/125ml/4flozs water
For the cake
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200g/7ozs unsalted butter, softened
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200g/7ozs raw castor sugar
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3 large eggs
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2 cups/200g/7ozs almond meal
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1/2 cup/75g/2.6ozs plain flour
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2 teaspoons baking powder
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1/2 cup/125g/4ozs natural yogurt
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 160C/320F. Line 25cm/9.8inch cake tin (I use springform) with baking paper in one piece folding down the sides (as shown). In a saucepan, place the water and sugar and stir on low to medium heat until melted. Turn up the heat to medium high heat and add the blood orange slices. Once boiling, simmer for 10-15 minutes until the peels become semi translucent. Remove the orange slices with a slotted spoon and boil the syrup so that it becomes slightly thicker. Cool the oranges until they are fine to handle with hands.
Step 2 - Line the sides of the prepared tin using some of the syrup brushed onto the parchment to adhere them. Queen Viv suggested first putting down the ones that curve around on the side first and then tiling them around that. You can overlap them too and I wanted the orange slices all the way to the bottom so I cut some in half and placed these on the top edges (which when overturned will become the bottom edge). These were the peskiest to stick but persevere using the syrup which gets nice and sticky once cooled. Reserve the syrup to brush over cake once baked.
Step 3 - In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy and add eggs one at a time. Stir in almond meal, flour, baking powder and yogurt and mix until just combined (do not overwork). Spoon into the prepared tin making sure not to dislodge the orange slices. Bake for 60 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Step 4 - Cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes. The longer you cool it the sturdier the cake will be. Upturn carefully onto the serving plate and remove the parchment paper. Brush the top and sides of the cake with the reserved glaze. Serve with double cream or thick yogurt.