Tart and sweet apples baked in dark caramel sit atop a lightly spiced, rich butter cake
I know you’ll absolutely love this incredibly delicious, moist, every-so-slightly spiced cake that pairs so well with beautiful apples cooked in a dark caramel.
More Apple Recipes
I have plenty of fall seasonal recipes on the blog that I adore like Apple Cider Churros and Apple Cinnamon Bundtlette Cakes, but we are all currently swooning over this Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake.
How do you make an Upside Down Cake?
There are so many things that I love about Upside Down Cakes. First, they’re a little nostalgic and remind me of classic Americana. Second, you always have fruit that is deeply caramelized in sugar and butter. Third, Upside Down Cakes are impressive, but are actually super simple to make. A trifecta!
You’ll start by arranging the cut and peeled apples in the bottom of an 8×8″ baking pan, lined with parchment paper. Then you make the caramel. Making caramel is so much simpler than most people think. You’re going to combine sugar and a few tablespoons of water in a small pan, and let it cook until it’s golden brown. Then stir in a couple tablespoons of butter, a pinch of salt, and you’re good to go. Pour the caramel over the apples, and get going on the buttery cake batter.
After you’ve baked the cake and let it cool slightly, place a large plate, platter, or baking sheet on top of the pan, and FLIP! Be confident! The cake should easily pop out of the pan because you’ve lined it with parchment paper, and sprayed nonstick cooking spray.
What apples should I bake with?
Great question! There are hundreds of varieties of apples, and some are definitely better suited to baking. You want to bake with apples that are very firm, crisp, and more tart. Some of my favorite varieties are: Jonagolds, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala, Braeburn, and Fuji. I usually stay away from Red Delicious and Golden Delicious, because while they are “delicious,” I think they’re too sweet when paired with caramel and cake – they don’t give any of the contrasting tartness that you really need here.
This is a great snacking cake, perfect for any holiday get together, and I can’t wait for you to try it! Wanna save this recipe for later? Tap the “Pin It” button on any of the images to save to your favorite boards.
If you make this Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake, or any of the recipes on the blog, be sure tag me on @lions.bread or #lionsbread so I can see what you’re baking!
xo, LeAnne
Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake
Tart and sweet apples baked in dark caramel sit atop a lightly spiced, rich butter cake
Ingredients
- 3-4 firm, crisp tart apples - peeled and sliced thickly Granny Smith, Jonagold, Gala, Braeburn
- 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 1 1/2 sticks salted butter, (12 tablespoons) melted
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt (I use Morton's)
- 1 1/2 tsp Hawaij spice blend (the sweet version) or ground cinnamon optional
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8" pan with parchment paper, and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Shingle the sliced apples in the bottom of the pan, in a single layer. Set aside.
Make the caramel: place 3/4 cup of the granulated sugar in a small pan along with the 2 tablespoons of water, and a pinch of kosher salt. Whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes until the sugar is dissolved and the mixtures turns a golden-amber color. Pour the caramel evenly over the arranged apples.
Make the cake batter: combine the melted butter and remaining sugar in a large bowl. Whisk very well to combine, about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs, whisk, then add the milk. Whisk to combine well. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and ground spices to the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the dry ingredients until the batter fully comes together (check for pockets of flour at the bottom of the bowl)
Bake for 1 hour. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake to check for doneness. It should come out clean and feel very warm. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to make sure that the cake doesn't stick. Place a large plate, platter, or small baking sheet on top of the pan, and flip with confidence. remove the parchment paper, and let the cake to cool. Serve with vanilla ice cream, creme fraiche, whipped cream or yogurt.
Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake was first published on Lion’s Bread blog.