Recipes

Mindful Recipe: Vegan Blood Orange & Cardamom Upside‑Down Cake recipe

A vibrant, aromatic twist on the classic — glossy citrus slices caramelise into a sticky topping while the soft cardamom‑spiced cake bakes underneath.

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Ingredients

Topping

  • 2–3 blood oranges, thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp vegan butter
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp orange juice

Cake

  • 1½ cups plain flour
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom – Buy Ground Cardamom Powder
  • ½ cup oat milk
  • ⅓ cup neutral oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar – Buy Willy’s Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Zest of 1 orange

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line the base of a round cake tin with parchment.
  2. Make the topping: melt vegan butter and sugar in a small pan until bubbly. Stir in orange juice. Pour into the cake tin and arrange the orange slices on top in a single, pretty layer.
  3. Mix dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom.
  4. Mix wet ingredients: oat milk, oil, vanilla, vinegar, orange zest.
  5. Combine: pour wet into dry and whisk until smooth.
  6. Pour batter over the oranges gently so they stay in place.
  7. Bake 35–40 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
  8. Cool for 10 minutes, then invert onto a plate to reveal the glossy citrus top.
  9. Serve warm or at room temperature — it’s gorgeous with vegan yoghurt or cream.