Gluten-Free Blood Orange Cakes

By Ben Mims
For Cooking Newbie, a blog for beginner cooks

These days, we all face the issue of making foods for every diet when inviting friends over for a party. While in New York City this week, my partner and I threw a brunch party for over 20 of his friends, and while only one had a special diet, we decided to make a gluten-free dish for her that didn’t take much effort at all, and actually tastes great to those who don’t have an issue with gluten.

With so many natural and flavorful gluten-free cake mixes on the market now, it was easy to find one to use for the blood orange upside-down cakes we were already planning to make. Ripe rings of blood orange, sprinkled with brown sugar, make anything taste great, but especially a gluten-free cake that everyone thinks is not.

Gluten-Free Pantry was the brand of mix we used, and it was exactly what I was hoping for and may become my own go-to cake mix even though I’m not eating gluten-free myself.

To get the recipe and shopping list on your smartphone (iPhone, BlackBerry, Android device) or PC, click here.

Gluten-Free Blood Orange Cakes
Makes 18

4 to 5 blood oranges
1 box (15 ounces) gluten-free cake mix, prepared according to package directions
Nonstick baking spray, for pans
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoon light brown sugar

1. Using a Microplane zester, grate the rind of two of the oranges and add the grated rind to the prepared cake mix; stir until evenly combined. Spray each cup in two 12-cup muffin tins with nonstick baking spray. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the brown sugar in the bottom of each of 18 muffin cups.
2. Heat the oven to 350°F. Peel the skin and the pith (the bitter white part of the orange between the skin and fruit) off all of the oranges and cut each orange crosswise into ¼-inch rounds. Place a round on top of the sugar in the bottom of each of the 18 muffin cups, and then using a 1/3-cup measuring cup, pour the prepared cake batter over each round of orange. Bake until cakes are golden brown at the edges and a toothpick inserted in the middle of each comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cakes cool for 5 minutes, and then invert onto a wire rack, letting the cakes fall out. Cool cakes completely before serving.

Special Fork is a recipe website for your smartphone and PC that solves the daily dinnertime dilemma: what to cook now! Our bloggers blog Monday through Friday to give you cooking inspiration. Check out our recipe database for quick ideas that take no more than 30 minutes of prep time. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Related posts:

1. Asian Style Crab Cakes
2. Surprise! These ‘Crab’ Cakes are Made with Zucchini
3. A Valentine’s Day Dessert for Cooking Newbies
4. Pumpkin-Orange Smoothies
5. Learning to Love Granola

Comments

[Sara]

Ben, you are an amazing chef, writer, and a beautiful heart. I can't wait to see more of you and the amazing things you will do in this world!