Upside down orange cake

My husband's and my family is visiting from India. So there is a lot of simple and traditional Indian cooking happening in my home. However, my mother takes care of most of the day to day meals :) ...which gives me time to experiment and cook my favorite part of the cooking --- desserts...:) I  baked almost 3 cakes for them, in a week they were here. This cake, I made for my father's birthday last week. It is an unusual and refreshing one from the usual chocolate and vanilla flavors which my kids like. I adapted this recipe with the ingredients, I had with me.

Here is a slice......:)

Ingredients:

Vanilla extract bottle in the pic by mistake... not needed...:)

• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 oranges
• 1 and half cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1 and half tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• zest of 1 orange
• 1/2 cup oil( or melted butter) 
• 3 eggs

Recipe:

• Heat a wok and melt 2 tbsp butter. Add 2-3 tbsp brown sugar. Keep the heat at medium-low and let the butter and sugar caramelize. A cast iron pan works great for this recipe, but as I do not have one, I used the regular non-stick pan to make it. 

• After about 4-5 minutes when the butter and sugar are heated, and forms bubbles, pour the caramel in the baking pan. 

• Spread the caramel evenly on the bottom of the pan.

• Slice the oranges, thinly. Remove seeds.(Mine are not finely sliced. Make them as thin as you can)

• Arrange the oranges, on the caramel, in the bottom of the pan. If using cast-iron pan, arrange the oranges while the caramel is heating , and let the oranges cook for a while, about 4-5 minutes.

• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Keep it aside.

• Now, crack eggs in a bowl, beat them with a cake whisk till they are mixed evenly, for about 1 minute.
• Add sugar, and mix the egg-sugar till it gets pale in color and increases in volume.

• Add, orange zest and mix.

• Measure oil and milk and add to the mix. Whisk well, till they are blended.(forgot to click picture at this step...)
• Add orange juice.

• Then add the flour and fold in well.

• Pour the batter on top of the oranges in the cake tin.

• Tap the tin, so as the batter settles on top of the oranges.

• Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 30 minutes. Allow, the cake to cool for 10 minutes in the pan.
• Put a serving plate over the cake tin, and invert the cake onto the platter.

Quantity:

• Makes about 10-12 servings

Notes:

• The cake tastes best, when served hot from the oven.
• Store it covered in the fridge.

• You can make a similar recipe with meyer lemons too. Instead of oranges, orange zest and orange juice, substitute with lemons, lemon juice, lemon zest.