Delight your family and friends with this Orange upside-down cake. It is a French dessert with a sponge Genoise soaked in orange syrup with a hint of Grand Marnier, diplomat cream, and a luscious layer of candied oranges. It is a real orange intense!
This orange cake is one of the prettiest cakes I have ever made. I laid my eyes on the cake while surfing through the baking site of Madam Mercotte. Since she mentioned that chef Gaston Lenôtre created the original recipe, I decided to try to find his recipe.
The only way to get the recipe was to watch the old video masterclass by the chef in French. I wrote down all the ingredients, watched the video, made some changes, and voila!
History of orange cake
This French orange upside-down cake is called "Rosace à l'Orange", which means "Rosette with orange" in English.
It is a creation of the French chef Gaston Lenôtre, who presented the cake in the program "La grande cocotte" in 1977.
The cake recipe was published in the pastry book the house Lenôtre "La pâtisserie/ Grands Classiques et créations."
The orange upside-down cake is exceptional. Simplicity and elegance - it is all wrapped in one cake! It is absolutely decadent and perfect for any celebration.
Give it a try and taste the citrus freshness. I will not be surprised if you become obsessed with the cake.
Why orange cake recipe works
- Since the citrus season is almost all-year-round, the cake is a dessert to enjoy whenever you want.
- The dessert is full of bright citrus flavors that boost the mood and make you feel happier.
- Caramelized oranges give a distinctive signature look to the cake after flipping it on a serving plate.
- The cake is so petty that it becomes a fabulous and impressive dessert.
How to make orange upside-down cake
To make candied oranges, cut oranges into thin slices. Place them in a saucepan and add granulated sugar (photo 1).
Bring it over low heat, cover the pan, and cook for 1.5 - to 2 hours (photo 2). Drain the candied oranges through a fine-mesh sieve to get the orange syrup.
Add one tablespoon of Grand Marnier to the syrup and set aside. Cool the orange slices down.
To make the Genoise biscuit, preheat the oven to 392 F/200 C. Using an electric mixer, whisk eggs and powdered (icing) sugar in a bowl, and add the vanilla sugar (photo 3).
Bring the mix into a warm (not hot) bain-marie/ water bath to warm up the preparation and continue to whisk.
Once the temperature of the eggs/sugar mixture reaches 113 F/45 C (warm to touch), remove the saucepan from the bain-marie/water bath and beat until the mixture doubles in size and cools down (photo 4).
Pour about three tablespoons of the cream-like mixture into a separate bowl with the melted butter and mix (photo 5).
Add the sifted flour to the main mix and gently mix with a rubber spatula. Add the buttered mixture to the main preparation and combine, using the spatula (photo 6).
Butter and flour a cake pan 7 inches/18 cm in diameter. Pour the batter into the pan (photo 7) and bake for 20 minutes.
Check the readiness of the biscuit with a knife: if it comes out dry, the biscuit is ready. Let cool on a wire rack or parchment paper (photo 8).
To make the diplomat cream, bring milk to a boil. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with granulated sugar until the mixture becomes whitish. Add the sifted flour and mix (photo 9).
Pour the boiling milk into the egg mixture and stir. Bring it back into the saucepan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, continually whisking until the cream thickens.
Transfer the ready pastry cream to another bowl and beat with a hand whisk to cool down (photo 10). Add the liquor Grand Marnier and vanilla extract.
Butter a round cake pan 8 inches/20 cm in diameter. Sprinkle the bottom and sides of the pan with granulated sugar.
Line the pan with orange slices, going in a circle and overlapping them in half (photo 11). Refrigerate.
Cut the rest of the candied oranges into small pieces (photo 12)...
and add them to the cooled pastry cream and mix with the spatula (photo 13). Cover the cream with a plastic film in contact and refrigerate.
Whisk whipping cream to get whipped cream. Add whipped cream to the cooled pastry cream and gently mix with the spatula (photo 14).
To assemble the cake, fill an 8 inches/20 cm pan layered with the orange slices with half of the diplomat cream (photo 15).
Cut Genoise sponge in half in the direction of the thickness, using a serrated knife. Place a biscuit disk on top of the cream (photo 16) and soak with the orange syrup.
Cover with the rest of the diplomat cream. Soak another biscuit disk with the orange syrup and cover the cream with the soaked surface down (photo 17). Refrigerate the cake for at least two hours.
To unmold, place the pan with the cake over medium heat for a few minutes. Place a serving plate on top of the cake and flip it over with the fast movement (photo 18).
Expert tips
- Make the Genoise biscuit in an 8 inches/20 cm pan and cut it to fit (if necessary) while assembling the cake.
- Bake the biscuit one day in advance, wrap it and refrigerate. It will be easier to slice the sponge the next day.
- Make the biscuit in an 8 inches/20 cm pan and cut it to fit (if necessary) while assembling the cake.
- Use whatever oranges you have - Navel oranges, Valencia Oranges, or even Blood oranges, but buy organic, if possible.
- Experiment with mixing Navel and Blood oranges for the prettiest cake effect.
- Omit Grand Marnier to make the cake kids-friendly.
- Serve the cake immediately or enjoy it within the next 48 hours.
Frequently Asked Question
What is diplomat cream?
Diplomat cream is a combination of pastry cream with whipped cream. Sometimes gelatin is added to stabilize the cream. The standard ratio of pastry cream to whipped cream is usually 1:1, although ratios as 2:1 to 3:1 also exist. Diplomat cream is used to fill choux pastries, tarts, and mille-feuilles.
More delicious cake recipes you will love
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- Birthday Brownie Cake With Red Fruit
- Browse all the Cake Recipes
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PrintRecipe card
Orange Upside-down Cake Recipe
Delight your family and friends with this Orange upside-down cake. It is a French dessert with a sponge Genoise soaked in orange syrup with a hint of Grand Marnier, diplomat cream, and a luscious layer of candied oranges. It is orange intense!
- Total Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
For candied oranges:
- 3 medium-sized oranges
- ⅔ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
For the biscuit Genoise:
- 2 ½ large eggs
- ½ cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (75 g) powdered (icing) sugar
- ½ tablespoon vanilla sugar
- 1.3 oz (35 g) butter
- ½ cup (62 g) flour
For the diplomat cream:
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (250 ml) milk
- 3 egg yolks
- ⅓ cup (75 g) granulated sugar
- 6 ½ teaspoons (17 g) flour
- ½ tablespoon Grand Marnier
- ⅓ cup (75 g) whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
*Don't you have the correct baking pan on hand right now? Try this simple Cake Pan Converter!
** If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.
Instructions
- To make candied oranges, cut oranges into thin slices. Place them in a saucepan and add granulated sugar. Bring it over low heat, cover the pan, and cook for 1.5 - to 2 hours. Drain the candied oranges through a fine-mesh sieve to get the orange syrup. Add one tablespoon of Grand Marnier to the syrup and set aside. Cool the orange slices down.
- To make the Genoise biscuit, preheat oven to 392 F/200 C. Using an electric mixer, whisk eggs and powdered (icing) sugar in a bowl, add the vanilla sugar. Bring the mix on a warm (not hot) bain-marie/ water bath to warm up the preparation and continue to whisk. Once the temperature of the eggs/sugar mixture reaches 113 F/45 C (warm to touch), remove the saucepan from the bain-marie/water bath and beat until the mixture doubles in size and cools down.
- Pour about three tablespoons of the cream-like mixture in a separate bowl with the melted butter in and mix. Add the sifted flour to the main mix and gently mix with a rubber spatula. Add the buttered mixture to the main preparation and combine, using the spatula.
- Butter and flour a cake pan 7 inches/18 cm in diameter. Pour the batter in the pan and bake for 20 minutes. Check the readiness of the biscuit with a knife: if it comes out dry, the biscuit is ready. Let cool on a wire rack.
- To make the diplomat cream, bring milk to a boil. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks with granulated sugar until the mixture becomes whitish. Add the sifted flour and mix. Pour the boiling milk into the eggs' mixture and stir. Bring it back in the saucepan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, continually whisking until the cream thickens. Transfer the ready pastry cream in another bowl and beat with a hand whisk to cool down. Add the liquor Grand Marnier and vanilla extract.
- Butter a round cake pan 8 inches/20 cm in diameter. Sprinkle the bottom and sides of the pan with granulated sugar. Line the pan with orange slices, going in a circle and overlapping them in half. Refrigerate.
- Cut the rest of the candied oranges in small pieces and add them to the cooled pastry cream and mix with the spatula. Cover the cream with a plastic film in contact and refrigerate.
- Whisk whipping cream to get whipped cream. Add whipped cream to the cooled pastry cream and gently mix with the spatula. The diplomat cream is ready.
- To assemble the cake, fill an 8 inches/20 cm pan layered with the orange slices with half of the diplomat cream. Cut Genoise sponge in half in the direction of the thickness, using a serrated knife. Place a biscuit disk on top of the cream and soak with the orange syrup. Cover with the rest of the diplomat cream. Soak another biscuit disk with the orange syrup and cover the cream with the soaked surface down. Refrigerate the cake for at least two hours.
-
To unmold, place the pan with the cake over medium heat for a few minutes. Place a serving plate on top of the cake and flip it over with the fast movement. Serve immediately or enjoy within the next 48 hours.
Notes
- Make the Genoise biscuit in an 8 inches/20 cm pan and cut it to fit (if necessary) while assembling the cake.
- Bake the biscuit one day in advance, wrap it and refrigerate. It will be easier to slice the sponge the next day.
- Make the biscuit in an 8 inches/20 cm pan and cut it to fit (if necessary) while assembling the cake.
- Use whatever oranges you have - Navel oranges, Valencia Oranges, or even Blood oranges, but buy organic, if possible.
- Experiment with mixing Navel and Blood oranges for the prettiest cake effect.
- Omit Grand Marnier to make the cake kids friendly.
- Serve the cake immediately or enjoy it within the next 48 hours.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 322
- Sugar: 43.5 g
- Sodium: 69 mg
- Fat: 10.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 5.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 53.9 g
- Fiber: 1.4 g
- Protein: 5.8 g
- Cholesterol: 159 mg
The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.
The recipe was taken and adapted from the video master class of Gaston Lenôtre. It was originally published on October 18, 2018. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.
Shelly Ratner says
Please, change the ingredients to English in America. I could Google them but I thought you could do this better. And could I use our sugar for caster sugar? We also have a sugar called powdered sugar. Which sugar should I use? Thank you very much.
Irina says
Shelly, I have just updated the recipe card. All the ingredients are in both measurements. As for sugar, please, use granulated sugar. Powdered sugar is the same as icing sugar. Happy baking and enjoy!
shelly ratner says
Thank you so much for the conversion. I have 3 more questions:
1. The ingredients for the genoise cake itself calls for icing sugar. That is our powdered sugar. What sugar should I use, powdered or granulated?
2. The pictures show a whisk, not a spatula. Our spatula is completely flat with a long handle.
3. I keep reading the directions to be sure of what I am doing. I do not have a bain marie, but I will use a water bath. I will have to get a candy thermometer. I use a water bath when I make flan and cream caramel so it should be the same thing. This cake looks amazing. I love oranges.
Please reply, Shelly
Irina says
Shelly, I am answering to your questions:
1. Please, use powdered sugar as per recipe card.
2. You should use a hand whisk till the moment you need to add the flour. The picture shows the moment before adding the flour. Once you add the flour, you start using a spatula.
3. Yes, bain-marie is the same as water bath.
Diana Reis says
Beautiful cake. Sounds delicious. Do the orange peels candy and sweeten up nicely?
Irina says
Thank you, Diana. The orange peel is beautifully sweetened up with a hint of bitterness, which is a part of the orange peel flavor.
Stephanie says
OMG! This was absolutely the most delicious upside-down orange cake I have ever tried.
Irina says
Thanks for letting me know that you loved the cake, Stephanie!
Anita says
The cake is so pretty, and I love citrus cake more than chocolate cake, so this instantly becomes my favorite. It takes a bit more effort, but the end result is so worth it. If you need a show-stopping cake, bake this!
Irina says
Thank you, Anita. I love to alternate flavors while baking: a fruity cake can follow a chocolate one 🙂
Kushigalu says
Cake looks so delicious and stunning. I will try this soon. Thanks for sharing
Irina says
You are welcome, Kushigalu. Happy baking and enjoy the cake!
Matt says
Such a unique cake and love the orange flavors!
Irina says
Thank you so much, Matt!
Lucy says
I've only ever had pineapple upside-down cake before. This orange one was such a great change. A delicious treat or dessert.