Vanilla Orange Upside Down Cake

Hannah has been banging on and on and on and on and on and on and on and ON at me for a very long time to make her an upside down cake. OK she asked pretty nicely all ten thousand times but as someone who cannot understand why anyone would want to make a cake as ugly as an upside down cake it felt a lot like someone banging on. Anyway, she was at college and I wasn't at uni so with lots of work nothing to do I wanted to make something yummy for her coming home and I couldn't think of much she'd appreciate more than me giving in and making an upside down cake. I didn't fancy the more traditional toppings (bottoms? who knows) of apple or pineapple and was feeling a little adventurous so I bought some perfect looking oranges from my favourite fruit and vegetable stall in town. I know I keep harping on about the sun but it seriously does influence my baking choices! I was a little skeptical about not taking the skin off the oranges but to my delight and sheer amazement the cake was super scrummy! I still stand by it being pretty ugly and it was a nightmare to photograph but ya know the things you do for love and all that!

This cake is perfect for summery days and goes brilliantly with custard
(I will post my easy yummy custard recipe soon!). The ground almonds add a delectable complementary flavor to the vanilla oranges and improve the texture of the cake. The vanilla brings out the sweetness of the oranges counteracting the naturally bitter taste of the rind and skin, making them surprisingly delicious once they have been softened.

Ingredients

I used one cake pan 7.25" at its narrowest diameter, 7.75" at its widest diameter 

For the 'bottom':
1 orange, thinly sliced
1/2 vanilla pod, split
1/3 cup water
100g granulated sugar

For the cake:
4 oz butter
4 oz self-raising flour
2 oz ground almonds
4 oz granulated sugar
2 large eggs
4 floz milk
1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions

Pre heat the oven to 160 degrees C and line a 7.25" (diameter at narrowest point) cake pan. Firstly, thinly slice the orange and split half a vanilla pod down the centre.

In a frying pan heat the water and add the split vanilla pod and sugar stirring until it has dissolved. When the sugar has dissolved add the thinly sliced oranges to the frying pan and simmer for 12 minutes until the orange skin has become soft and tender.

 Add the oranges AND the syrupy orangey vanillary goodness to the pre-lined cake pan.

Now to make the cake!
Combine butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then beat in the eggs and add the flour, baking powder and 2 oz of ground almonds gradually. Mix in the 4 floz milk so you have a smooth, fluid batter. Pour this on top of the oranges and bake for 35 - 40 minutes until it is golden and a tester comes out clean. Serve once cooled or warm with or without custard - enjoy :)