Citrus upside-down cake recipe for your backyard gatherings

Ingredients for Backyard citrus upside-down cake

• 113 g unsalted butter

• 100 g caster sugar, plus 30 g

• 2 large unwaxed lemons, ends trimmed, halved, deseeded, sliced 3 mm thick

• 300 g plain flour

• 5 ml baking powder

• 2.5 ml baking soda

• 2.5 ml salt

• 2 large eggs

• 240 ml olive oil

• 227 g full-fat plain Greek yoghurt

• 200 g caster sugar

How to make Backyard citrus upside-down cake

1. Position a rack in the centre of your oven and preheat it to 180°C (fan) or 190°C (conventional). Butter a 23 cm round cake pan and line the base with parchment paper.

2. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Remove the pan from the heat and add 100 g of the sugar along with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of water. Whisk the mixture until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes glossy and slightly thickened. Pour the melted butter and sugar into the prepared cake pan, smoothing it into an even layer to cover the bottom. Place the cake pan in the freezer until the butter and sugar layer has frozen, keeping it there until you are ready to add the batter.

3. In a small bowl, gently toss the lemon slices with the remaining 30 g of sugar. Leave the lemon slices to macerate for 10 minutes.

4. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and set aside. In another large bowl, combine the eggs with the olive oil and beat vigorously with a whisk until well combined. Add the yogurt and the remaining sugar. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the wet mixture in three additions, folding in each addition until no dry bits of flour remain. Set aside.

5. Fan the lemon slices out to cover the melted butter and sugar in the cake pan, overlapping the slices by up to 0.5 cm. Pour the cake batter directly on top of the lemon slices.

6. Bake for about 50–60 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the centre comes out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Transfer the cake to a wire cooling rack and let it cool for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving plate and carefully remove the parchment-paper lining. Allow the cake to cool for a further hour before serving.

Note: This cake can be made with nearly any citrus; my favourite is lemon for its bitter and tart flavour. Avoid using raw grapefruit, oro blanco, or lime, as their rinds are thicker and will take longer to bake. Lime and grapefruit also tend to retain a bitter quinine flavour, which can result in an unusual taste for the cake.

Disclaimer
While every effort has been made to ensure the information is accurate and up to date, individual needs may vary and dietary requirements can differ based on personal health conditions. Always check food labels and allergen information before preparing or consuming any recipe. If you have specific health concerns, allergies, intolerances, or are following a medically prescribed diet, seek advice from your GP, pharmacist, or a registered dietitian before making significant changes to your diet or lifestyle.