Candied Upside-Down Blood Orange Cake

 

I've made upside-down cakes plenty of times, including one using blood oranges that I posted years ago here.  They are all visually stunning, and are usually made in round pans. This one however, from Southern Living Magazine, was made in a 9" square pan (I increased the amounts in the recipe and baked it in a larger, rectangular pan seen in the above photo.) The design was different too, since you cut the oranges in half and "stack" them, rather than overlap whole slices in a circle. But what was most different to me were the oranges were cooked in a sugar syrup first, mitigating any bitter taste from the rind. 

They become more like candied oranges -- which redeemed the cake for me. I say redeemed because even though we ate the cake (well, we devoured what was left over from my book group meeting), it had a drawback that I find with all upside-down cakes, namely the texture. If you're starting my scratch, they rarely, if ever, have a really tender crumb, no matter what fruit you're using. Correction -- the exception is  an upside-down pear walnut cake I made that has a very tender crumb. But the plain white (or yellowish) cakes seem to get denser and heavier as each day goes by. I can just hear Paul Hollywood declare in his British accent, "It's a bit stodgy." 

Despite its texture, this cake has tons of flavor, but maybe my hesitation isn't inspiring you to make this cake. In truth, I really hope you do make it. But if you've had this same feeling about upside-down cakes you've baked (or if yours aren't stodgy at all), I'd love to hear from you with the definitive upside-down cake recipe. 

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Candied Upside-Down Blood Orange Cake

(from Southern Living Magazine)

Ingredients

2 1/2 c. granulated sugar, divided

2 medium blood oranges

baking spray

2 large eggs, room temperature

3/4 cup sour cream, room temperature

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 t. grated blood orange zest

4 T. fresh orange juice

2 T. neutral oil (canola or vegetable oil)

2 t. vanilla extract

2 c. cake flour

2 1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. kosher salt

Instructions:

Combine 2 cups water and 2 cups sugar in a wide saucepan, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, trim and cut blood oranges crosswise into 14-16 slices (about 1/4 inch thick), using a serrated knife. Add oranges to boiling sugar mixture. Reduce heat to low. Gently simmer, turning occasionally, until slices start to turn translucent, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer slices to a wire rack, placed over a rimmed baking sheet. Reserve syrup in saucepan. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9" baking pan with baking spray.

Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until browned and nutty in aroma, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer butter to a large heatproof bowl. Let cool 10 minutes.

Whisk eggs, brown sugar, sour cream, orange zest and juice, oil, vanilla and remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar into browned butter until combined. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Gradually whisk flour mixture into egg mixture until combined.

Cut candied orange slices in half. Arrange in prepared pan as desired, trimming to fit. Reserve any remaining slices for another use. Spread batter evenly over slices, using a small spatula. Gently tap pan on counter a few times to get rid of any large air bubbles.

Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove cake from oven. Prick all over with a fork. Brush cake with 1/4 cup reserved syrup. Let cake cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto a serving plate. Generously brush cake with 1/4 cup reserved syrup. Save any remaining syrup for another use. Serve cake warm or at room temperature. 

Spinach Gruyere Soufflé

Occasionally, I pick up the free magazine at my local grocery store (McCaffrey's, which is great, by the way) and there are one or two recipes that speak to me. This was one of them, since I had a piece of gruyere cheese in the fridge and a box of spinach in the freezer - two ingredients that would also make a fine quiche, but I didn't want to make a crust or use heavy cream. Besides, it had been an age or two since I last made a soufflé and it was a cold Sunday when I felt like creating something in my kitchen. I altered the recipe since it used the gruyere only on the buttered inside of the bowl, and I wanted the gruyere to be tasted inside the soufflé itself. So I sprinkled parmesan on the inside instead, and mixed in the gruyere with the actual egg/bechamel mixture. 

Making a soufflé is easier than most people think, requiring only careful folding of the beaten egg whites to achieve success. You could use a 6-cup soufflé dish for this recipe but I opted to use a smaller dish, and place a buttered parchment paper collar around the perimeter. It allows the soufflé to rise above the dish, making for a much more dramatic presentation. 

It was divine - so full of flavor, maybe also due to simmering a bay leaf, cloves and onion with the hot milk, so don't skip that part. It was light as a cloud, but heavy enough to fill our stomachs (along with a side salad.) I hope you give it a try. 

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Spinach Gruyere Soufflé

Ingredients

butter to grease the soufflé dish (and collar if using)

grated parmesan cheese to sprinkle on the greased soufflé dish 

1 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded

1 10-ounce box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess water

2 1/2 cups milk

1/4 large onion

1 large bay leaf

2 whole cloves

7 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 tablespoons flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

6 large eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Grease a 5 cup soufflé dish with butter, then sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Take a piece of parchment paper large enough to fit around the perimeter of the soufflé dish (folding as necessary), and butter that as well, then attach it to the upper part of the dish, tieing with a string. If you don't want to do this, use a larger soufflé dish, but the smaller one with the collar makes a more impressive presentation.

Let the spinach thaw completely, then squeeze out as much water as possible. Mince with a knife.

Simmer the milk gently over low heat for 10 minutes, with the onion, bay leaf and cloves. Remove the seasonings with a slotted spoon.

Make the bechamel by melting the butter, then whisk in the flour, cooking for a couple of minutes. Slowly add the hot milk, whisking until smooth. Let it cool slightly (I placed the pot into a bowl with ice to speed the process.) Add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

Separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until stiff. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, to the bechamel mixture, then stir in the spinach and the Gruyere cheese.

Fold the beaten egg whites to the spinach/cheese mixture, but not all at once. Start by folding in 1/4 of the mixture, then continue until everything is blended. Don't overmix though, or you'll deflate all those egg whites and your soufflé won't rise well.

Place soufflé on a pan (in case of drippings) and bake for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Check it after 30 minutes, and lower temperature again to 325 degrees to prevent excess browning. Bake for another 10 minutes and serve immediately.

Chocolate Covered Ricotta Zuccotto

 

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and here's your chance to wow any sweetheart with an easy dessert - no baking involved. Just buy a Pandoro - it's like panettone but without the candied fruit -- and is ubiquitous in stores at Christmas time. If you didn't stash an extra one in your pantry during December, or can't find one where you live, you can substitute another type of store-bought cake. Just make sure it has enough density to hold up to the ricotta filling.

I lined a colander with plastic wrap but if you have a round bowl, use that instead. Then slice the pandoro and fit it into the perimeter of the container, squishing in pieces where there may be a gap. I make a simple syrup and add some orange liqueur (optional) then drizzle it all around the cake. Otherwise, I think the cake can be dry. Besides, it adds more flavor.

After you've mixed the ricotta with the chopped chocolate and sugar, spread some of it into the center, over the bottom of the cake (that becomes the top once flipped over). Add another layer of cake and sprinkle with more simple syrup. 

Use the remaining ricotta filling, then finish with another layer of cake, and more simple syrup over it all. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it in the refrigerator overnight.

Flip it over the next day, and drizzle the chocolate glaze on top before serving. 

Decorate with orange peel and serve. Happy Valentine's Day

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Chocolate Covered Ricotta Zuccotto

1 pandoro cake

1 lb. ricotta cheese, drained overnight

2/3 cup confectioner's sugar

2/3 cup dark chocolate, cut into bits (or use chocolate chips)

grated zest of one orange

For the Simple Syrup:

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons orange liqueur

Bring the water and sugar to a boil until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add the orange liqueur.

Assembly:

Line a colander or medium-size round bowl with plastic wrap. Cut slices of the pandoro, about 1/2-3/4 inch thick. Arrange slices around the perimeter of the bowl. Swipe with some of the simple syrup. Mix the ricotta, sugar, chocolate and orange zest. Place some of the ricotta mixture in the center of the bowl, then add another layer of the pandoro, and swipe with more simple syrup. Add the rest of the ricotta, and finish with another layer of the cake, and more simple syrup over everything. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight. The next day before serving, flip the cake over, remove the plastic wrap and spread the chocolate glaze on top (see below recipe), decorating with some orange strips, or candied orange peel. 

For the topping:

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped finely

Mix all the ingredients together in a small saucepan (except the 2 ounces of chocolate), whisking over medium heat until it begins to boil. Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate until it melts into the sauce. Wait a couple of hours for the sauce to thicken before using on the zuccotto. Put it in the refrigerator or place the pan in a pot of ice  to speed up the process.

Spread topping all over the zuccotto, and decorate with orange peel.