Move over Pineapple Upside Down Cake, this Sourdough Orange Upside Down Cake is a refreshing, citrusy take on the beloved classic. This cake is baked with whole candied oranges on the bottom, with a thick tequila-orange caramel that bakes up into a sweet sticky topping. Herradura Ultra Añejo Tequila adds notes of toasted almond, caramel and honey that perfectly finishes this show-stopping cake.

Sponsored by Tequila Herradura

I absolutely love upside-down cakes because they are so easy to make. No need to fuss with frosting, these cakes are baked in a pan with the topping, usually fruit, under the batter. As the cake bakes, the fruit juices thicken into a gooey caramel. The cake is then flipped to reveal a decorative and delicious topping that would look at home as the centerpiece of any dessert table.

This recipe is brought to you by my friends at Tequila Herradura. Crisp and fresh, Herradura Ultra Añejo Tequila is going to be my go to Spring and Summer drink. With notes of cooked agave, caramel, honey and toasted almonds it’s also perfect for adding rich flavors to desserts, especially this Sourdough Orange Upside Down Cake.

Baking with a sourdough discard

Sourdough discard adds a nuanced flavor that balances the syrupy sweetness of Orange Upside Down Cake. Since you are not using it as the main leavening agent in this recipe, your sourdough starter does not need to be activated and can be used straight from the fridge. If you’re using sourdough discard that’s been in the fridge for weeks it will add a more distinctive flavor to your cake, which you won’t get when using a freshly fed starter. Both will work for this recipe but you’ll get different results.

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Here’s what you’ll need!

Oranges - Try to use medium-sized oranges for this recipe so you have more room to layer them for your topping, blood oranges add a decorative flair, but if they are not in season feel free to substitute with regular oranges.
All-purpose flour - The low protein content of all-purpose flour imparts a fluffy texture to this cake, I would not recommend substituting another type of flour for this bake.
Almond flour - Adds a lovely texture and softness to the crumb, feel free to substitute any other nut flour.
Sourdough discard - You can use active sourdough starter or sourdough discard for this recipe.
Herradura Ultra Añejo Tequila - Adds notes of cooked agave, caramel, honey and toasted almonds in orange topping, baking completely cooks out the alcohol in this cake so you’ll be left with the pure, clean flavor of tequila.

See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information.

How to make a show-stopping upside down cake

Whisk eggs until foamy

Beating your eggs until light and foamy will ensure your cake has a light and fluffy texture. While I am an advocate for hand mixing ingredients, you really need an electric mixer for this bake to succeed

Thinly slice your oranges

A mandolin is the best tool for slicing your orange segments. You’ll get uniform slices that will cook at the same rate and slice beautifully once baked. If you must, use an extremely sharp serrated knife and discard any slices that are too thick.

We’ll be using the whole orange for this bake, yes even the skin! But don’t worry, candying the slices will get rid of any residual bitterness.

Brush your baked cake with excess syrup

Save any leftover candied orange slices to fill any areas of your topping that may have been disturbed while baking. Save a little bit of your orange syrup and brush it on top of your cake for a shiny show-stopping finish.