Upside Down Citrus Ombre Cake Recipes

Steps:

• For the cake layers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat five 6-inch round cake pans with flour-based baking spray.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the flour, granulated sugar, cake mixes and salt. Whisk on low speed until combined. Add the sour cream, eggs and 2 cups water. Mix on medium speed until just combined. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl; add the vanilla extract. Mix again until no streaks of the dry ingredients remain.
• Divide 1 cup of batter between two small bowls (1/2 cup in each); tint one bowl of batter with the blue food color and tint the other with the teal food color. Stir to combine. Add the food color a little at a time until a bright hue is achieved.
• Divide the remaining white cake batter among the prepared pans. Spoon a little blue and teal batter into each pan and swirl the colors together with a skewer or butter knife. Bake the cakes until they are lightly browned and a toothpick tester inserted near the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely. Level each cake layer using a serrated knife or a wire cake leveler.
• For the Swiss meringue buttercream: Set a saucepan filled one-third full of water over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.
• Whisk together the egg whites, granulated sugar and salt in a large heatproof bowl. Set over the simmering water and whisk until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar has dissolved.
• Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer filled with the whisk attachment. Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Increase to medium high and beat until stiff peaks are formed. Continue beating at medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy and has cooled, about 5 minutes (the mixing bowl should feel cool to the touch).
• Turn the mixer off and switch from the whisk to the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on medium low and add the butter a few cubes at a time, beating until well incorporated before the next addition. Add the vanilla extract. Beat until the frosting is thick and completely smooth.
• Remove about 1/2 cup of the frosting to each of 6 bowls. Tint one bowl navy blue using the navy blue food color, tint another bowl dark blue with the blue food color, tint another bowl dark teal using the teal food color, tint another bowl light teal using the teal food color and tint the fifth bowl light blue using the blue food color. The last bowl should remain untinted. Transfer each of the colors to separate piping bags, each fitted with a #104 decorator piping tip.
• For the marshmallow fondant shark fins: Place the marshmallows and 1 tablespoon water in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute at 100% power, or until the marshmallows puff out of shape. Stir the mixture until the marshmallows deflate.
• Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, kneading the mixture well with your hands (kitchen gloves make this job less messy). Keep adding the powdered sugar until the mixture is thick, smooth and pliable. You may not have to use all of the powdered sugar.
• Add a drop of black food color and a drop of blue food color to the fondant and knead until a dark blue-grey color is achieved.
• Roll the fondant flat on a work surface lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Stamp two 3.5-inch circles from the fondant using a pastry ring or cookie cutter. Cut each circle into quarters. Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter to trim away 1/8 inch from a flat side of each piece, creating a shark fin shape. Transfer the shark fins to a baking sheet and let dry until firm and rigid and the fins can stand upright, 1 to 2 hours.
• For the frosting and assembling: Use the remaining untinted frosting to fill the cake layers. Apply a thin even layer of buttercream to the cake's exterior and insert a 9-inch dowel through the top center of the cake to anchor the layers together. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Use the back of a butter knife to score lines around the cake to divide it into 6 sections (2 1/2- to 3-inch sections). Begin piping frosting at the bottom of the cake using the navy blue buttercream. Hold the piping bag so that the smaller end of the decorator tip is positioned away from the cake. Pipe lines of buttercream close together, traveling towards the top of the cake to the first score line. Repeat the process using the remaining colors in this order: dark blue, dark teal, light teal, light blue, white (untinted).
• Using the leftover navy buttercream in the piping bag, pipe enough frosting on top of the cake to cover it; use an offset spatula to create swirls resembling choppy ocean water. Place the set fondant shark fins around the top edge of the cake in a circle. Sprinkle on white nonpareil "bubbles" and place white sugar pearls at random on top of the cake and around the fins. Serve tall slices of cake at room temperature on large plates.

Steps:

• For the topping: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• Use a fine grater to zest 1 teaspoon zest from each of the citruses (for a total of 1 tablespoon zest). Reserve the zest for the cake.
• Cut the top and bottom off of each citrus and place them with a flat side on the cutting board. Then, following the curve of the fruit, use a sharp knife to cut off the peels and as much of the white pith as possible. Slice the fruit crosswise into 1/4-inch thick rounds; carefully remove any seeds.
• Combine the butter and sugars in a small saucepan and warm over medium-low heat until melted. Pour into the prepared cake pan and spread evenly. Top with the citrus rounds so that they fit very snugly and are slightly overlapping (you may not use every slice). Drizzle with the orange liqueur, if using.
• For the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl. Put the butter, sugar and reserved zest in another bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour; mix until just combined.
• Pour the cake batter over the citrus and bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center just comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake and let it cool for 15 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a platter, replacing any citrus that may have stuck to the pan. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan and line it with parchment paper.
• Start by making the upside-down layer:
• In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Remove the pan from the heat and add ½ cup of the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water. Whisk the mixture until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is glossy and thickened a little. Pour the melted butter and sugar into the prepared cake pan and smooth into an even layer to cover the bottom. Place the cake pan in the freezer until the butter and sugar layer freezes; leave the pan in the freezer until you are ready to transfer the batter to the pan.
• In a small bowl, gently toss the lemon slices with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Leave the lemon slices in the sugar to macerate for 10 minutes.
• While the upside-down layer freezes, make the cake batter:
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Set aside. Combine the eggs with the olive oil in another large bowl and beat vigorously with a whisk until well combined. Add the yogurt and 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.
• Fan the lemon slices out to cover the melted butter and sugar in the cake pan, overlapping the slices by as much as 1⁄8 inch. Pour the cake batter directly on top of the lemon slices.
• Bake for about 1 hour, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving plate and carefully remove the parchment-paper lining. Allow the cake to cool for 1 hour more before serving.
• Note: This cake can be made with nearly any citrus, my favorite being lemon because I like it to be bitter and tart. The only citrus I would not use is raw grapefruit, oro blanco, or lime. The rinds of grapefruit and oro blanco are much thicker than lemons and oranges and they will take longer to bake. Lime and grapefruit also retain too much of the bitter quinine flavor and will make for an odd-tasting cake

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Generously grease an 8 x 11-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
• Make the orange syrup: Add the butter, sugar, and orange juice to a small saucepan. Whisk to combine, then cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, 4-5 minutes.
• Pour the orange syrup into the prepared baking dish. Starting from a short side of the baking dish, arrange the blood orange slices vertically, overlapping slightly to fit as many slices as possible (this will help keep the citrus in place during baking). Continue with the cara cara slices, then navel orange slices, then Meyer lemon slices to create an ombré effect.
• Make the cake batter: Add the eggs, sour cream, water, melted butter, orange zest and juice, and vanilla to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the cake mix and pudding mix and fold with a rubber spatula to incorporate. Pour the batter into the baking dish, spreading evenly.
• Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Let the cake cool for 15 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.
• Enjoy!