Backyard Citrus Upside-Down Cake

From the kitchen of Carly

Buttery caramelized lemon slices crown a tender, olive oil-enriched cake that stays impossibly moist thanks to Greek yogurt. The citrus bakes into the topping, creating a glossy, jammy layer that contrasts beautifully with the soft crumb below.

Backyard Citrus Upside-Down Cake

Thin lemon slices arranged on a butter and sugar base become jewel-like and candied as they bake into the bottom of this tender, yogurt-oil cake. The trick is freezing that buttery bottom layer so the lemon doesn't slip around, and using unwaxed lemons so you get all the bright flavor without the waxy residue. One flip reveals glossy golden circles.

Prep
n/a
Cook
n/a
Total
n/a
Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 1 stickunsalted butter
  • 1½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 largeunwaxed lemons, ends trimmed, then halved, seeded, and sliced ⅛ inch thick
  • 2½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tspbaking powder
  • 1½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 largeeggs
  • 1 cupolive oil
  • 1 cupfull-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 cupsugar

Instructions

  1. Set a rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

  2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, then pull it off the burner. Stir in ½ cup of the sugar and 2 tablespoons of water, whisking until the sugar dissolves and the mixture turns glossy and slightly thickened. Pour it into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer across the bottom, then slide the pan into the freezer. Leave it there until the layer firms up solid, keeping it frozen until you are ready to add the batter.

  3. Toss the lemon slices with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar in a small bowl and let them sit for 10 minutes so the sugar draws out some of the juice and softens the rinds slightly.

  4. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a large bowl and set it aside. In a separate large bowl, combine the eggs and olive oil and beat them vigorously with a whisk until fully emulsified. Stir in the yogurt and sugar. Create a well in the center of the flour mixture, then add the wet mixture in three additions, folding each one in until no dry streaks of flour remain.

  5. Pull the pan from the freezer and fan the macerated lemon slices across the frozen butter-sugar layer, overlapping them by as much as ⅛ inch to cover the bottom. Pour the batter directly over the top, spreading it level.

  6. Bake for about 1 hour, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Set the pan on a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a serving plate and peel away the parchment lining carefully. Give the cake a full hour more to cool before slicing.

  7. Nearly any citrus works here, though lemon is the standout choice for its bitter, tart character. Skip raw grapefruit, oro blanco, and lime: grapefruit and oro blanco have much thicker rinds than lemons or oranges and will not bake through in the same time, while lime and grapefruit both hold onto an intense bitter quinine flavor that will throw off the whole cake.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Freeze the butter-sugar base for at least 20 minutes so it sets firm and holds those lemon slices in place. If the butter is warm or soft, the citrus will slide around the pan as you pour batter.
  • Unwaxed lemons matter here. If you can only find waxed ones, scrub them hard under hot running water with a brush, or just peel away the outer zest and white pith so you're left with pure bright flesh.
  • Slice the lemons paper-thin (⅛ inch) with a sharp knife or mandoline so they soften and candy up properly in the oven. Thick slices stay tough and chewy.
  • Use a thin, offset spatula or small metal spatula to loosen the edges of the cake from the pan right out of the oven while it's still warm. Let it cool for 5 minutes on the rack, then invert onto a serving plate.

Variations

  • Blood orange or pink grapefruit: Swap the lemons for the same amount of blood oranges or pink grapefruit, halved and sliced the same way. The flavor shifts from sharp to jammy and slightly bitter.
  • Brown butter and thyme: Melt the butter for the base until it foams and turns golden brown, then add a few crushed fresh thyme sprigs before pouring into the pan. Toast the lemon slices lightly in that brown butter for deeper flavor.
  • Lime and coconut: Use limes instead of lemons and add 1 teaspoon of coconut extract to the batter. The tropical edge here is bright and unexpected.
  • Candied citrus peel layer: Make your own candied lemon peel ahead of time and use that instead of fresh slices for a chewier, more structured topping.

Make ahead and storage

Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4 days. The cake keeps well in the fridge and tastes just as good cold. Don't freeze, as the lemon topping can weep.