Recipe: Orange and Pistachio Upside Down Cake

All photographs by Christine Moss

Inspired by her love of holidays, winter solstice, nature and nurturing, Chef Moss brings forth the sweetness of the season to brighten our cold days.

_______

Makes 1 nine-inch round pan

INGREDIENTS:

• 1½ cups flour
• ½ cup cane sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup coconut milk
• ½ cup orange juice
• ½ cup vegetable oil (I used safflower)
• 2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
• 1 TBSP vanilla
• 1 seedless orange cleanly peeled with a knife
• 1 TBSP vegan butter
• 2 TBSP brown sugar
• ¼ cup raw unsalted pistachios, shelled and chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Prep the cake pan.
3. Line the bottom of a 9” pan with a circle of parchment paper. 
4. Grease the bottom and sides of the parchment-lined pan with the vegan butter.
5. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the buttered pan.
6. Slice the knife-peeled orange crosswise into circles about ¼” thick. Remove the center circle of white stringy pith from each slice of orange.
7. Arrange the orange slices on top of the brown sugar-buttered pan.
8. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios into the spaces between the orange segments.

MAKE THE BATTER:

1. In a bowl whisk together the flour, cane sugar, salt and baking soda until evenly combined.
2. In a separate bowl whisk together the coconut milk, orange juice, vegetable oil, cider vinegar and vanilla.
3. Pour the wet ingredient into the dry ingredients and stir with a large spoon. Mix until a batter is just formed, do not over mix. 
4. Pour the batter slowly into the prepared cake pan and spread it evenly throughout the pan.
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Once it is golden across the surface and is pulling away from the edges a little, use a toothpick to test for doneness. Be careful and do not poke the toothpick all the way to the bottom. The very bottom of the cake will be a bit syrupy. 
6. Allow the cake to cool to the touch before flipping it out of the pan and over onto a plate. Peel off the parchment paper to reveal your cake. If some of the fruits or nuts have stuck to the parchment, that is ok, peel them off and press back into their place on the cake.

 ~ Chef Christine Moss, The Garden Cafe Woodstock