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This Upside-Down Orange French Toast is one of those dishes that makes me want to brunch more often—or enjoy breakfast for dinner. We’ve already made it twice, and it’s become a favorite for weekend mornings and occasional weeknight brunches at our house.
The recipe is easy to assemble; the most patient part is letting it rest so the bread soaks up the orange-infused egg mixture overnight. It’s perfect to prepare the night before and bake fresh in the morning.
This version uses Rhodes White Bread, which I don’t buy often except for their frozen loaves and rolls. The white loaf gives a soft, tender texture that soaks up the custard beautifully. If you prefer whole grain, you can use the wheat loaves instead, but I’m a sucker for occasional white bread treats.
Rhodes frozen loaves are convenient—you can thaw one or two loaves in the morning, let them warm up a bit, and then bake. Freshly baked bread with jam is a simple pleasure. You’re going to love this orange twist on classic baked French toast.
Upside-Down Orange French Toast
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Ingredients
- ½ cup (113 g) butter, melted
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra for sprinkling
- ½ cup (56 g) chopped pecans, or medium pecan pieces
- 2 Tbsp orange zest
- 8 slices Rhodes White bread, cut ¾” to 1″ thick, (about 1 full loaf)
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup (237 ml) orange juice
- 1 Tbsp orange extract
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) when ready to bake. Melt the butter and pour it into the bottom of a 9×13″ pan. In a bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, chopped pecans and orange zest, then sprinkle this mixture evenly over the melted butter.
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Arrange 8 slices of Rhodes White bread, each cut about ¾” to 1″ thick, on top of the cinnamon-sugar-pecan layer.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, orange juice, orange extract, and salt until blended. Pour the egg mixture over and around the pieces of bread, pressing lightly so the custard soaks in.
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Sprinkle the top with a little extra cinnamon, cover the pan, and refrigerate overnight to allow the bread to absorb the mixture. Remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before baking. Bake at 350°F for 30–45 minutes, or until the center is set and a knife inserted near the middle comes out clean. To serve, lift each slice from the pan and invert it onto a plate so the buttery, sugared bottom becomes the top. Serve plain or with a light drizzle of syrup.
Notes
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