A little bit of spring in the renewed winter weather.

Winter came back with a vengeance yesterday as rain/snow fell most of the day in most of the state. We were up in the mountains in the morning and had planned to go skiing, but after seeing how windy and snowy it was, we decided to just stay in. We're so spoiled. I'm out of town most weekends for the rest of the season, so I may not get many more ski days.


At Matt's work, they run a shindig called "Cafe Chopin" on Thursdays, where every week, someone brings in a tasty snack to share. I always get unreasonably excited when Matt is signed up to bring something because it means I can make something amazing and decadent and not have to eat it all myself. I've seen a lot of pictures of citrus upside-down cakes and they're so pretty, I decided we had to make one. Plus, I've been madly eating citrus this month because it's been so good.

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Upside-Down Orange Spice Cake
adapted from David Lebovitz

• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 4 medium navel oranges, peeled and sliced into 1/4" slices
• 1/3 tsp ground nutmeg

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 8 Tbsp butter, at room temp
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk or half&half
• 1 tsp vanilla
• zest of one orange

1. Preheat: 350F
   
2. For the topping, melt the butter with the brown sugar and nutmeg in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet (The original recipe is for a 10-inch). When all melted and smooth, set aside to set.
3. Layer the orange slices in some pretty manner atop the caramel topping.
4. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg together in a bowl.
   
5. Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl. Add the eggs one at a time.
   
6. Combine the milk, vanilla, and orange zest in another container.
7. Add half the dry ingredients to the sugar/butter, then add the wet. Add the rest of the dry and mix until combined.
8. Spoon batter over the orange slices and bake for 5 minutes at 350.
9. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes, then invert onto a plate.

Supposedly it's best warm, but it was still darn good the day after.

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