Bursting with vibrant and refreshing orange flavour, this hazelnut and orange syrup cake is incredibly moist and fluffy, with a soft crumb. And the best thing? It pops right out of the pan, fully decorated and ready to eat with a big scoop of whipped cream, coffee mascarpone or vanilla ice cream! A drizzle of easy orange sugar syrup amplifies the refreshing citrus tang, making each bite completely irresistible. It is perfect for afternoon tea, or any time of the day!
Today, I’m sharing how to make a moist and flavourful hazelnut and orange cake.
Due to their presentation, upside down cakes have their own built-in ‘wow-factor’! Showcasing the best of winter citrus fruits, fresh orange slices are arranged in the bottom of the cake tin – which is then, as the name suggests, flipped upside-down once cooked. The result is a deceivingly easy but beautiful cake that is sure to impress.
This cake uses hazelnut flour for richness, nutty texture and a tender crumb, as well as plenty of fresh juice and zest for a lovely, intense orange flavour. And if that isn’t delicious enough, this cake is then topped with a glossy, sticky orange syrup that adds even more moisture and a sweet, citrus-y flavour.
While this recipe is simple, with minimal ingredients and steps, the result is anything but. The orange flavour really shines in this simple and impressive cake!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Easy to make
- Packed full of citrus flavour – a great way to transform some fresh oranges, or any other citrus fruit you choose!
- Pantry-friendly – no fancy ingredients here! Including oranges, there are only 8 basic pantry and fridge ingredients used.
What you’ll need
Ingredient notes
Oranges – any type of oranges can be used here. I recommend navel or other seedless types, to save having to pick out the seeds! Choose a tart orange where possible, to balance the sweet from the cake. If you feel like mixing it up a little, any type of citrus can be used instead. Try grapefruit, oranges, lemon or even lime! Just be sure to use fresh juice.
Hazelnut flour – is nutritious and also gives a sweet, nutty flavour to baked goods. Also called hazelnut meal, it can be found in most supermarkets. I buy mine (labelled hazelnut flour) from my local health food store. You could also substitute for almond flour or almond meal, if preferred.
Eggs – fresh, room temperature eggs are best here, to incorporate easily into the butter mixture. If you store your eggs in the fridge, crack them into a bowl and allow them to sit at room temperature while you prepare the other ingredients.
Step by step instructions
For the orange syrup, the sugar and juice is heated together in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. The orange slices are then added to the syrup and simmered (covered) for 3-4 minutes before being removed from the syrup. They don’t need to be completely tender, as they will continue cooking in the cake tin. Arrange the slices, 1-2 layers deep in the bottom of a lined cake tin (further instructions in the recipe below). Turn the syrup off and set aside to finish cooking when the cake is almost ready.
Beat the butter, sugar and zest together and then beat in the eggs, one at a time.
When you add the dry ingredients as per the instructions below, make sure not to over-beat the mixture. Mix until the ingredients are just incorporated.
Carefully spread the cake batter over the top of the orange slices and bake as per recipe below. Carefully turn the finished cake upside down (orange side up!) onto a wire rack. This step should be done within 5-10 minutes of removing the cake from the oven, to prevent the oranges sticking to the paper.
Use a wooden or metal skewer to poke holes into the top of the cake, about halfway down. Using a tray underneath the wire rack to prevent spilling, pour the completed sugar syrup over the top of the cake. Any syrup that is caught by the tray can be poured over the top again.
Serve warm, with vanilla cream or ice cream.
FAQs
Should I peel the oranges for my cake? It is completely up to you! The peel gives a slight bitter but more intense orange taste. The peel is cooked through in the cake and is counteracted with the sweet fruit and orange sugar syrup. You can slice the orange thinly like I did and leave the peel intact, or you can remove the peel completely, if you prefer. From a visual point of view, the unpeeled orange slices look so pretty!
How do I store this cake? It is best eaten within 2-3 days of baking and can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Serve at room temperature, or even microwave individual pieces and serve with cream or ice cream.
Handy tips
- To prevent the orange slices and cake from burning in the bottom of the pan, a layer of baking paper is essential! Use a single layer of baking paper that continues up the edges of the pan (this also helps to prevent any juice leaking). And don’t add the syrup to the cake tin, save it for drizzling over the cake at the end.
- You will need about 6-8 oranges for this recipe.
- Check to make sure your orange slices don’t have any remaining seeds, they are not nice to bite into!
- To make prepping a little easier, take the zest from 1-2 oranges before juicing them.
- The cake batter requires only minimal mixing, just until the ingredients are combined. Take care not to overmix.
- Try this cake with some easy coffee mascarpone! To make it, simply beat ½ cup mascarpone with ½ cup thickened cream, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, ⅓ cup icing sugar and 3 tsp espresso (or use 1 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water). Beat until thick and fluffy and store in the fridge until required.
Related recipes
If you love the look of this easy cake, give these cakes a try!
- Hummingbird cake with cream cheese frosting
- Easy lemon syrup cake
- Tall and fluffy sponge cake with passion fruit icing
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment or rating below and let me know how you enjoyed it. I really appreciate it! Andrea x
Hazelnut Orange Syrup Cake
Ingredients
Orange sugar syrup
- ¾ cups caster sugar
- ⅓ cup orange juice (juice from 1-2 oranges)
- 2 oranges thinly sliced (leave the peel on, or remove it depending on your preference)
Orange and hazelnut cake
- 1 cup butter (250 grams), room temperature
- 1 ½ cups caster sugar
- 4 eggs large, room temperature
- 1 cup hazelnut flour
- 1 cup plain flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- zest of two oranges
- ¾ cup orange juice approximately 3 oranges
- ½ cup sour cream
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 160C° (fan forced). Grease and line a 23cm cake tin with baking paper, with the paper also folded slightly up the sides.
For the orange sugar syrup
- Place the sugar and juice into a large saucepan and place over low-medium heat. Bring to a slow simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved.
- Place the orange slices into the hot syrup and simmer, covered, for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and carefully remove the orange slices using a fork. Arrange the orange slices evenly along the bottom of the lined cake tin, on top of the baking paper. Leave the syrup in the saucepan (off the heat) and set it aside to finish cooking when the cake is almost done.
For the cake
- Place the butter, and sugar and orange zest into a large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until pale and creamy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition until completely combined and fluffy.
- Combine the hazelnut meal, flour and baking powder into a bowl and stir to combine.
- Fold in half of the hazelnut mixture to the butter mixture, until just combined.
- Add the juice and sour cream and stir until combined.
- Fold in the remaining hazelnut mixture until just combined.
- Pour the cake mixture into the cake tin, over the top of the sliced oranges.
- Cover the cake tin firmly with foil and slow bake for 1 hour and 30 – 1 hour and 40 minutes, or until the cake is completely cooked through. You can test by inserting a wooden skewer into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, with a few crumbs, the cake is ready.
- When the cake is almost done, return the orange syrup to a low simmer for around 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Add the syrup to a pouring jug.
- Remove the cake from the oven and carefully turn it onto a wire rack. Using a wooden skewer, poke several holes in the cake, about halfway down. Using a tray directly beneath the cake/wire rack to catch any stray drips, slowly pour the hot orange syrup over the top of the cake and allow it to soak in.
To serve
- Cut the cake into slices and serve either hot or cold with some whipped cream, coffee mascarpone or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
Notes
- To prevent the orange slices burning in the bottom of the pan, use a layer of baking paper that continues up the edges of the pan (this also helps to prevent any juice leaking). And don’t add the syrup to the cake tin, save it for drizzling over the cake at the end.
- Keep an eye on the sugar syrup, and gently simmer over low heat. It should not turn brown or become too thick.
- Check to make sure your orange slices don’t have any remaining seeds, they are not nice to bite into!
- Take the zest from 1-2 oranges before juicing them.
- The cake batter requires only minimal mixing, just until the ingredients are combined. Take care not to overmix.
- Try this cake with some easy coffee mascarpone! To make it, simply beat ½ cup mascarpone with ½ cup thickened cream, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, ⅓ cup icing sugar and 3 tsp espresso coffee (or use 1 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water). Beat until thick and fluffy and store in the fridge until required.
- The low oven temperature and slow cooking time are important for this recipe, to prevent the orange overcooking and going hard, as well as preventing the cake from over browning in the bottom of the pan. Avoid the urge to turn up the temperature to speed things up!
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