Impress your guests with this stunning and incredibly delicious cake.
Function: Circo Therm®
Orange & Ginger Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
For the Topping
50g Unsalted Butter
¼ cup Caster Sugar
2 Oranges, sliced into ½ cm rounds, seeds removed
For the cake
1/3 cup Fine Polenta
¾ cup Buttermilk
1 cup Caster Sugar
100g Unsalted Butter
2 large Eggs
1 ¼ cup Self Raising Flour
¼ tsp Bi carb Soda
½ tsp Salt
Zest of 1 Orange
1/3 cup Uncrystallised Ginger, finely chopped
½ tsp Ground Ginger
For the glaze
¼ cup Orange Juice (add the reserved juice from the zested orange)
2 tbsp Caster Sugar
1 tbsp Apricot Jam
¼ tsp Ground Ginger
Method
Begin by soaking the polenta in the buttermilk while you make the topping. Stir together in a small bowl. This will help the polenta to soften a little before adding to the cake batter.
Place the orange slices into a medium saucepan. Cover with water and bring to the boil over high heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Drain and allow to cool.
Set your oven to CircoTherm function at 160°
Line the base of a 23cm springform pan with baking paper. Wrap the base of the pan with a layer of foil. Chop the 50g butter for the topping into small pieces and place into the pan. Put the pan into the oven and let the butter melt – around 1 minute.
Remove from the oven and use a pastry brush to spread the butter over the base of the pan. Sprinkle with the ¼ cup caster sugar. Lay the orange slices on top of the sugar, overlapping in a spiral pattern.
Place the sugar and butter for the cake mixture into a mixer bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time, beating well to combine.
Add half of flour with the bi-carb soda and salt and mix on low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the polenta and buttermilk mixture. Once combined, add the remaining flour and mix again.
Stir through the orange zest, uncrystallised ginger and ground ginger evenly through the mixture.
Gently pour the mixture over the orange slices and smooth the top of the cake.
Bake for approximately 40 minutes until a skewer or cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
While the cake is cooling, combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat at Induction/Flame Select Gas Level 9 to melt the sugar and reduce and thicken slightly. Set aside to cool a little.
Run a palette knife gently around the edges of the cake pan, then release the springform ring. Invert the cake onto a plate or a platter and remove the base of the tin and baking paper. Pour the glaze carefully over the top of the cake and spread with a pastry brush if necessary.
Slice with a serrated knife and serve with crème fraiche, mascarpone, or whipped cream.
Authors Bio
Paula is an experienced chef, having trained at the renowned William Angliss College and also a qualified Food Technology teacher. Paula has owned and managed a number of food inspired businesses over her career. She is also a prize-winning scone baker!