Blood Orange Caramel Skillet Cake

Blood Orange Caramel Skillet Cake is both rich and light, with crisp caramelized edges, soft orange-cornmeal cake, and a gooey orange caramel syrup. This simple sponge cake is infused with orange zest with just a hint of cornmeal for irresistible texture. Once inverted, the cake is topped with candied blood orange slices and a perfectly sticky orange caramel sauce.

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This is a cake recipe that requires no cake pans, no frosting, and no fuss. I’ve always loved upside down cakes, with the fruit on top and syrup soaking into the cake. But a skillet cake is even better – the edges get a little caramelized and crispy, perfectly contrasting the tender cake and candied fruit.

Blood Orange Caramel Skillet Cake is made with fresh blood oranges (although any orange will do) and a simple sticky orange caramel. The orange-cornmeal cake batter is poured right into the pan on top of the fruit and syrup, and the whole thing finishes off in the oven.

How to Make Blood Orange Caramel Skillet Cake

First, combine 1 cup of sugar and ½ cup of water in a 10-inch, oven-safe skillet. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved.

Then place the orange slices into the sugar syrup. Try to spread them out into a single layer so they are covered in the syrup. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium low. Cook for about 5 minutes. Take the oranges out and set aside on a plate.

Continue to simmer the sugar syrup for 5-10 more minutes, stirring occasionally. It will thicken up and begin to change color to a light gold, then a golden brown. As soon as the color starts to deepen a little, remove the pan from the heat.

Add in 2 tablespoons of orange zest and stir well. Arrange the orange slices in the caramel in a single layer. Make it look as neat as possible – this will be the top of the cake. I did mine in a slight ombre-pattern, with the darker blood oranges toward the center and the lighter ones near the edge. Set the pan aside.

To make the cake batter, first mix the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine the yogurt and milk.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add in the egg, orange juice, and orange zest. Mix until everything is well combined.

Next, alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture in three or four additions. Mix until just combined after each addition. Be very careful not to overmix the batter.

I found it helpful to spray the skillet with the caramel with a little cooking spray to prevent the cake from sticking. Then pour the batter in carefully over the oranges and caramel. Transfer the skillet to a preheated 325°F oven and bake for about 35-40 minutes. The cake will be puffed and golden, and a toothpick inserted into the cake should come out clean.

Take the skillet out of the oven (careful, the handle is hot!) and set it on the stove to cool for about 10 minutes. Then invert a flat plate or platter on top of the skillet, then carefully flip the skillet and plate over to release the cake. If the cake sticks a little, use a rubber spatula to ease it out of the skillet.

Let the cake cool to room temperature before serving (or serve slightly warm). I prefer the cake just as is, but it’s also delicious with a little whipped cream on top…or ice cream.

Recipe Tips and Notes

To save you some counting, you need 4 large blood oranges – or regular oranges – for this cake. First zest 3 of the oranges and set aside 1/3 of the zest for the caramel, and 2/3 for the cake batter. Peel those 3 oranges with a paring knife, removing all the white pith. Then slice them into ¼ inch rounds. Juice the last orange for the cake batter.

Like I said above, you can use any orange for this recipe. I prefer blood oranges because of their striking color and slight berry-like flavor, but a regular orange will taste delicious.

Looking for other blood orange recipes? Try Blackberry Blood Orange Marmalade or Blood Orange and Raspberry Sour Cream Scones.

Keep a close eye on the caramel as it simmers. As soon as you see some golden color creeping in, you are seconds away from being done. Caramel can quickly turn from golden to burnt. You’re looking for an even, deep golden brown color.

If you have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge. I imagine this cake would freeze well, too, although I haven’t tried it. It didn’t last that long in my house.