Citrus Upside Down Cake

Ingredients

Topping

2 oz unsalted butter

¾ cup light or medium brown sugar

2-3 Meyer lemons, cara cara, or blood oranges, thinly sliced and seeds removed

Batter

4 oz unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons lemon or orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs, separated

1 ½ cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup milk

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Preparation

Topping

Grease and line a 9 inch cake pan with parchment paper. Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar until it dissolves and is smooth. Let cool slightly and pour into the prepared cake pan. Spread brown sugar into an even layer.

Arrange cut citrus slices in the bottom of the pan so that they slightly overlap one another to cover the bottom completely. Set aside.

Batter

Preheat the oven to 325ºF (160ºC)

Sift flour, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and set aside.

In a bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar and zest until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, about 3-4 minutes. Add vanilla and egg yolks one at a time. Add the flour mixture alternating with the milk, scrapping down the sides of the bowl as needed until combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl add egg whites, and cream of tartar and beat until you have stiff peaks. Fold egg whites into batter a third at a time making sure it is fully incorporated before you add the next.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly over the citrus. Bake 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool for 15-20 minutes and turn out onto a large plate. Serve with whipped cream.