Blood Orange Upside-Down Semolina Cake

Blood oranges slices are arranged on the bottom of a cake pan with a light sprinkling of sugar. Once baked, the sugar and the orange juice turn into garnet-colored syrup that is soaked up by the tender semolina cake. Requiring only extra-virgin olive oil and no butter, the cake batter can be prepared very simply by hand in one mixing bowl.

Did I mention there is vodka in the batter?


Blood Orange Upside-Down Semolina Cake
(Makes one 9-inch cake)
Downloadable Version


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• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Peel and cut 4 blood oranges into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Remove the seeds from the orange slices.
• Grease the bottom of a 9-inch round pan and sprinkle 4 tablespoons of sugar all over the bottom of the pan.
• Arrange the orange slices in the bottom of the prepared pan; set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together 1 large egg, 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup milk, and 1/4 cup vodka (unflavored or infused with blood orange).
• Gently whisk in 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, 2/3 cup fine semolina flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth out the top, and bake until until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes.
• Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 45-60 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.