Upside Down Orange Strawberry Cake (Vegan Gluten-Free)
This Upside Down Orange Strawberry Cake is fruity, fresh, spongey and so delicious. It is made with skin-loving, nourishing and plant-based ingredients and is easily gluten-free while being a real showstopper.
I love upside down cakes and it’s been almost a year since I shared my first one with blood oranges, so it’s about time to change that. This cake is so fruity and fresh and is perfect for bringing a little sunshine to the winter months. It’s made with wholesome and healthier ingredients, naturally sweetened and is, of course, vegan, egg-free and dairy-free. I also love how easy it is to make for something so show-stopping. I love serving this to friends and family, too, as it’s pretty and vibrant.
Why will I love this cake?
This sponge cake is so delicious:
- Light, moreish, tender and fluffy
- Fruity, fresh, zesty and naturally sweet
- Made with real, wholesome ingredients
- Easy to make in one bowl
- Packed with real orange zest and juice
- Great to make for friends and family
- Naturally vegan, egg-free and dairy-free
- Easily gluten-free and nut-free
- Topped with luscious whipped coconut cream
- Served with more fresh fruits and nuts
- Feels like summer in every bite
- Naturally healthier, lower in sugar and a boost of healthy fats
- Contains gut-loving ingredients
- Packed with skin-loving vitamins and antioxidants
If you already love the sound of this cake, then skip ahead to the recipe card below. or, first let’s discuss the recipe in more detail.
What ingredients do I need?
The ingredients are listed by weight in the recipe card and you can see my favourites in the “shop the recipe” section.
For the cake:
- Oranges: peel the oranges, removing the tough outside and then slice them up for the top of the cake. Then, zest and juice more oranges for the cake batter.
- Strawberries: fresh is best for this cake, otherwise they will go too soggy. You can also try raspberries, if you prefer.
- Plant based milk: use your favourite dairy-free milk like oat, almond, soya or coconut (from the carton).
- Olive oil: this is great for baking with as it’s rich and almost “buttery” while being great for our health.
- Coconut yoghurt: this adds moisture, fat and gut-loving ingredients. I use the Cocos Organic natural or vanilla yoghurt which is so thick and smooth.
- Coconut sugar: this adds the richer colour and flavour to the cake as opposed to golden or regular caster sugar, but you can use whatever you have. You can also try light brown sugar.
- Vanilla essence: for flavour.
- Plain flour: or you can use your preferred 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum inside (or add ¼ tsp of your own).
- Ground almonds: I love the nuttiness this adds to the batter and it also adds sweetness and texture. If making this nut-free, swap this for more flour.
- Baking powder: for the rise.
- Salt: for flavour.
To serve, I like to add:
- Whipped coconut cream: my favourite is the Natures Charm coconut whipping crema, or you can use other dairy-free whipping cream. I also love to serve this with thick coconut yoghurt.
- Extra fruit: I like toa dd some strawberries and orange zest.
- Pistachios: or other crushed nuts for a little crunch and colour on top.
Is this gluten-free and nut-free?
This is easily gluten-free as long as you use gluten-free flour for the cake (ideally with xanthan gum). To make this nut-free, swap the ground almonds for more flour and skip the pistachios on top. Also check that your milk, yoghurt and cream do not contain nuts.
How do I make this?
This cake is easy to make in a few steps:
- Slice the oranges and strawberries: for the base/top of the cake.
- Sprinkle over some sugar and arrange the fruits on top: for the pretty pattern.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients for the cake: until smooth.
- Sift in the dry ingredients: and mix again.
- Pour the batter on top of the fruits: and smooth over the top.
- Bake for 45 minutes: or until well-risen and golden.
- Allow the cake to cool slight and then flip upside down: now the bottom is on the top.
- Allow to cool fully: before frosting.
- Whip the cream and spread over the cake: decorating with fruits, orange zest and pistachios, if you like.
How long will it last?
This cake will keep for 3-5 days in a sealed container in the fridge or you can freeze it, wrapped well and without the frosting, for 1 month. Allow to defrost before decorating.
What else can I make?
For other fruity bakes:
- Strawberry Almond Banana Bread
- Cherry Almond Cake with Chocolate Frosting
- Apple Pecan Streusel Loaf Cake
- Orange and Almond Cake
- Vegan Hummingbird Cake
Upside Down Orange Strawberry Cake (Vegan Gluten-Free)
This Upside Down Orange Strawberry Cake is fruity, fresh, spongey and so delicious. It is made with skin-loving, nourishing and plant-based ingredients and is easily gluten-free while being a real showstopper.
Ingredients
For the Fruit:
- 2 large oranges
- 3-4 strawberries
- 1-2 tbsp caster sugar
For the Cake:
- 2 large oranges (zest and 120ml, 1/2 cup, juice)
- 120ml (1/2 cup) plant-based milk
- 60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
- 60g (1/4 cup) thick coconut yoghurt
- 150g (1 cup) coconut sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 240g (2 cups, approx.) plain flour
- 60g (1/2 cup) ground almonds
- 2 tsp baking powder
- A pinch of salt
To Serve:
- Coconut cream or yoghurt
- Fresh strawberries, orange zest
- 1 tbsp crushed pistachios
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160Fan/180ºC and grease an 8-inch round tin. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
- For the fruit: peel the oranges and slice thinly and slice the strawberries. Sprinkle the sugar over the base of the tin and then lay out the fruit to cover the base. Leave to one side.
- For the cake batter: zest and juice the orange (make sure you have 120ml, if not, use more plant-based milk to make a total of 240ml liquid). Add the zest and orange juice to a large mixing bowl with the milk, olive oil, yoghurt, sugar and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and then sift in the flour. Add in the ground almonds, baking powder and salt and whisk again until thick and smooth.
- Pour the cake batter over the fruit and smooth over the top.
- To bake: place in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes, covering with foil after 35 minutes. The cake will by golden, well-risen and an inserted skewer will come out clean.
- Leave the cake to cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes and then carefully flip over onto a second wire rack. Peel off the parchment to reveal the fruity top and now allow to cool fully.
- Whip the coconut cream or yoghurt, if you like, to serve.
- To decorate: place the cake on a plate and top with the cream/yoghurt, some fresh strawberries, orange zest and crushed pistachios.
- Slice and enjoy straight away or keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for 1 month. Allow to defrost before enjoying.
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Stay in touch
I look forward to hearing what you think of this Upside Down Orange Strawberry Cake so please let me know in the comments below and leave a star review above. If you do make this, please tag me in your bakes, I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest – please say hello!
With strawberry orange love x
p.s. this recipe was first made with Q+A skin and their Vegan bundle or skincare, but this blog post is not sponsored.
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