Vegan Blood Orange and Maple Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake

This cake, not only is it beautiful, but it is super easy to make! Impress everyone you know with cake, it is a literal work of art. The only time consuming part of making this vegan blood orange and maple cornmeal upside-down cake is cutting and trimming the blood oranges. Other than that, the cake and caramel component whips up in a breeze!

Citrus Fruits & Caramel Sauce

I chose blood oranges because they’re beautiful and my favorite type of orange. But you could use any orange you like and that is available to you! I think this cake would also work with fresh or frozen cherries, maybe even fresh pineapple. If you do use blood oranges, I like to arrange mine in the pan so I create a gradient, going from dark to light.

In this recipe, I call for a tiny bit of bitters. I feel like it gives the caramel sauce a little oomph, and also it gives this cake as a whole a maple old-fashioned vibe. Bitters are a flavor extract of a handful of spices in alcohol, you can read more about it at this article here, it also tells you how to make your own at home. You can 100% omit the bitters, if you don’t want to buy them or if you just don’t like them. Bitters can be found in most grocery stores, in the beverage aisle with the bar mixers. I always have them, as an old-fashioned is my favorite drink. Also, if you really love bitters, feel free to put more in it, it’s your life.

Mini-Format Cakes

I ended up testing mini versions of this cake, and they were quite cute and delicious! The method is pretty much the same, but there are a few variants if you decide to go down this route! You should still line the muffin tin with parchment paper and oil. Just cut out little circles to place in the bottom. On the bottom of the muffin tins, you can only fit 1 orange slice. And lastly, the time for cooking is about 25-30 mins. Cook until the tops are golden brown and tooth pick comes out clean. This recipe makes 12 mini cakes, but can easily be halved, or doubled. I love how these mini vegan blood orange and maple cornmeal upside-down cake ones turn out! They would be great for a party, or to give to friends. 

Maple Syrup

One last word of wisdom here. DO NOT use fake maple syrup, use the real stuff! Splurge and get the good stuff. If you want extra maple flavor, you can add maple extract. But I like the hint of maple flavor in the cake. 

Print

Blood Orange and Maple Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake

by: Katelyn

• V
• VG
• DF

Easy and beautiful vegan blood orange and maple cornmeal upside-down cake!

• Difficulty:Easy
• Prep Time:30 mins
• Cook Time:50 mins
• Serves:8
• Freezable:No

Nutrition per portion

Ingredients

• 1 lb Blood Oranges
• 3 tbsp (43g) Dark Brown Sugar
• 8 tbsp (113g) Melted Vegan Butter, Divided
• ⅛ tsp (couple dashes) Bitters (optional)
• ½ cup (93g) Finely Ground Cornmeal
• ¾ cup (180g) Oat Milk, or Any Other Non-dairy Milk
• ½ tbsp (10g) White Vinegar
• 1 ¾ cup (225g) All Purpose Flour
• 1 ½ tsp (6g) Baking Powder
• ½ tsp (3g) Baking Soda
• ½ tsp (3g) Kosher Salt
• ½ cup (170g) Pure Maple Syrup
• ¼ cup (50g) Granulated Sugar
• 6 tbsp (85g) Aquafaba
• 2 tsp Orange Zest

Method

Prep Oranges

1. Zest your oranges into a small bowl, and set aside for later use.
2. Position one of your oranges on the cutting board so the “poles” are to your left and right and the fruit is resting on its side rather than upright. Slice off the ends and then slice thinly, into about 1/8 inch thick rounds. Carefully slice off the skin and pith (white part of the orange), as these can be quite bitter, just leaving the orange flesh.
3. Set aside slices for later.

Prep your Pan

1. Using either a 9in cake pan or spring form pan, spray with baking oil. Cut out a parchment circle to line on the bottom of the pan. Place parchment in the bottom and give one more good spray of oil for extra insurance.
2. Pre-heat oven to 325°.

Making the Caramel

1. In a small skillet, add 2 tbsp of vegan butter, all the dark brown sugar, a pinch of salt, and the bitters (optional).
2. Heat over medium heat for 4-6 minutes until the mixture starting to bubble and come together. Be careful you don't over-cook, your caramel will be burnt!
3. Carefully pour caramel into the bottom of your cake pan and spread around as best as you can. Be careful, it will be very hot.
4. Let cool a little, and lay in your orange slices. Try to arrange in an even layer. Set aside cake pan while you make the cake batter.

Make the Cake

1. In a small bowl, add the milk and vinegar. Give it a good whisk and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, add the flour, corn meal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Give a whisk until combined.
3. Now, in a large bowl, add the remaining melted butter (6 tbsp), maple syrup, sugar, aquafaba, and the orange zest. Whisk until completely homogenous.
4. Then add in the milk mixture and whisk again until homogenous.
5. Add in your flour and whisk until just combined and no large lumps of flour remain. You do not want to over whisk as you will create too much gluten.
6. Pour the batter into your cake pan and smooth out the top. Place in the oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, until golden brown on the top, and a tooth pick comes out clean. If you are using a spring form pan, place a baking sheet underneath, in case of leakage.
7. Remove cake from the oven and let cool for 20 mins. Run a knife along the edges of the cake to help release from the pan. Invert the cake onto a wire rack to remove, and peel off the parchment paper. Let cool completely. Enjoy!