This gluten-free Mandarin Orange Upside Down Cake is the perfect citrus dessert for a savory Asian meal, but it’s also the ideal pairing with a cup of tea or coffee.
Wash whole mandarin oranges and cover with water in a sauce pot. Simmer for 1 hour until tender. Once oranges have cooled, cut in half and remove any seeds. Purée in food processor, rind and all. This can be done ahead of time.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line bottom of 9" springform pan with parchment. Grease sides.
Combine puréed orange, almond meal, sugar, vanilla, butter flavoring and salt. Stir in slightly beaten eggs.
Pour butter over parchment paper. Scatter with mandarin orange slices and almonds. Pour batter over and spread to sides. Bake about 45–50 minutes.
Remove cake from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Flip onto cake plate.
Scatter with brown sugar and cover loosely with foil so sugar will melt.