Cake adorned with ruby-red fruit

Light and fluffy golden sponge topped with juicy ruby-red fruit makes for a sweet and tangy treat that both looks and tastes wonderful

Blood orange upside down cake

Serves 8

2 blood oranges, thinly sliced

butter, for greasing

5 large eggs, separated

1 pinch salt

120g caster sugar

1 tsp orange blossom water

120g plain flour

2 tbsp cornflour

seeds from 1 vanilla pod

zest of 1 small lemon

23cm cake tin

greaseproof paper

Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3. Grease and line the cake tin with the greaseproof paper. Arrange the orange slices in the base of the tin, overlapping them in two layers, so that they cover the base completely. In a large, oil-free mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Gradually whisk in the sugar until incorporated and continue beating until the mixture is thick and glossy.

In a separate mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks with the orange blossom water before quickly folding into the egg whites with a metal spoon. In a third mixing bowl, sift together the flour and cornflour and add to the egg mixture, along with the vanilla seeds and lemon zest, cutting and folding until incorporated. Spoon the batter into the baking tin and rap it gently on a flat surface to help it settle.

Bake until risen and dry to the touch; 35-45 mins. When ready, a toothpick should come out clean from the middle. Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool slightly before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Serve warm or at room temperature.

“And every day when I’ve been good, I get an orange after food”

Robert Louis Stevenson