Winter is usually the season for oranges. And I love citrus fruits for both their taste and all the immunity boost they provide (read about it here). Today, I am sharing with you a recipe I have previously tried and then mixed with another one to upgrade it.

Let's start with the bottom of your cake form, it will become the top of the cake when done. You will need:
3 large oranges, preferably of different varieties for the mix of colors: orange, blood orange, navel orange
1/3 granulated sugar
1/2 cup of water
2 tbsp of orange juice

For the batter:
3 medium-sized oranges, mix blood orange with regular orange for a refined citrusy taste
3 medium-sized eggs
1 1/2 cups of sugar
3/4 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 cup of yogurt
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 tbsp of baking powder
1/3 tbsp of baking soda
 2 tbsp of white vinegar

For the syrup:
Remaining orange syrup
1/3 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of blood orange juice

Wash the oranges thoroughly. Keep their peel on. Slice them in round cuts of about 3-4 mm each. Place all bottom ingredients in a medium-sized pan and bring to a boil. Then, let the slices get candied over medium to low heat for about 12-13 minutes. Avoid candying the blood orange slices.

Meanwhile, you can prepare the cake batter. Place the oranges that have been washed thoroughly and cut into 4-6 pieces each in your blender. Make sure to keep the peel on! It will give the cake an amazing flavor. My Nutribullet requires less than 30 seconds for this process. Don't over-mix. We want to taste the chunks later. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and the sugar before adding the oil, the yogurt, and the orange chunks. Keep whisking. Add the flour with a sieve to air it well. Add the baking powder, the baking soda, and the vinegar. Combine well and let the batter rest while you grease the form. You can use a baking sheet if you don't feel like using a brush to butter the sides and bottom of the form. You can also use some flour or tahini so that the cake doesn't stick and remains easy to remove once it is baked. Remove the orange slices from the syrup and line them by color in the form. Pour the batter over the slices. Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until the top is golden. Test the readiness of the cake with a toothpick that should come out clean. Once out of the oven, flip the cake and let it cool for about 20 minutes.

To make the syrup, use the pan where you candied the orange slices. The leftover liquid should simmer for another 3-4 minutes or until it has lost its excess water. Let it cool for about 15 minutes until it is just warm. The cake must be baked by now. Pour some of the mixture over it and save some of it to be drizzled on the servings later.

This cake can serve 8 to 12 people. You can present your serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side or some chantilly cream.

Bon appétit 😋