What better way to celebrate an Australian gin than with an upside-down cake – or as we’re calling it, a ‘down under’ cake? This modern take on an old favourite is fabulously seasonable, featuring zesty orange and warm cinnamon – both botanicals that appear in our February 2021 gin of the month, Seppeltsfield Rd Distillers House Gin.

 To give this classic some cosmopolitan glamour, we’ve steeped and poached juicy oranges in gin and cinnamon syrup, topped them with a moist orange, almond and cinnamon sponge and then flipped the whole cake upside down, so we end up with the glistening fruit on top!

Orange and Cinnamon Down Under Cake
(Serves eight)

For the oranges:

25ml Seppeltsfield Rd Distillers House Gin
2 navel oranges, scrubbed and thinly sliced
220g golden caster sugar
125ml water
1 cinnamon stick

For the cake batter:

220g golden caster sugar
4 large free-range eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g self-raising flour
Large pinch of ground cinnamon
Grated zest of half an orange
110g ground almonds
150g unsalted butter,  melted

Pour the gin over the sliced oranges and leave to steep for 30 minutes.

Set the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas mark 3.

Add the sugar, water and cinnamon stick to a 20cm cast iron frying pan or a tarte tatin tin. Place over medium heat and stir until the sugar has fully dissolved.

Add the oranges and the gin and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the orange slices are tender. Remove the cinnamon stick and leave the oranges on one side to cool.

Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla to a bowl and whisk until they are pale, thick and have tripled in volume. This should take around 10-12 minutes.

Sift the flour and combine the egg mixture with the ground cinnamon, orange zest and ground almonds. Fold in carefully then add the melted butter and fold through.

Spoon the cake batter over the oranges in the cast iron pan/tarte tatin tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

Leave to cool for three minutes, then carefully turn out onto a plate to serve.