Caramelised Orange Upside Down Pudding

Oven: 180 °C / Fan 160°C / Gas Mark 4, pre-heated

Remove the zest from 2 of the oranges with a fine grade zester and reserve for later.

Using a small sharp knife peel the white pith from all the oranges. Slice the peeled orange across the segments into 1cm thick rounds, place them in a bowl and pour over the brandy and set to one side.

Heat the butter, sugar and water together in the casserole over a low heat. Once all the sugar has melted increase the heat a little to maintain a slow bubbling boil and cook the mixture until it reaches a toffee-brown colour. This process will take around 10 minutes in total. Move the pan away from the heat and add the marinating liquid from the sliced oranges. This will stop the cooking process. Take care as the caramel is very hot and may spit a little. Return the pan to the heat and stir for a minute or two until everything has amalgamated in a toffee-like sauce

Arrange the orange slices slightly overlapping in a spiral pattern on top of the toffee sauce.

Cream the softened butter with the sugar until light. Beat in the eggs, reserved orange zest and vanilla extract followed by the flour, baking powder, ground almonds and milk.

Spoon the mixture in small amounts on top of the oranges, starting around the outside of the dish and finishing in the centre. Smooth over the top with a spatula and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the centre springs back when depressed and a skewer pushed into the centre of the pudding comes away clean. If necessary, cover the pudding with a loose sheet of foil once it has become nicely brown.

To serve, allow the pudding to stand for 5 minutes before placing a deep plate or flat serving platter over the top of the casserole and inverting.

Serve warm with Chantilly cream, vanilla custard or ice cream

Cook's Notes

A gentle heat is best for cooking the toffee sauce as this will achieve an even colour and prevent burning.