Easy Upside-Down Apple Cake with Caramelized Apples

An upside-down cake knows how to make an entrance.

Turn it out of the pan and there they are: tender slices of caramelized apple, glossy with butter and brown sugar, sitting on top of a soft, buttery cake that has soaked up all those juices while it baked. No frosting. No piping bag. No carrying on. The cake made its own decoration.

Caramelized Upside-Down Apple Cake

This upside-down apple cake has tender apples, buttery brown sugar, and a soft cake underneath it all. Flip it out of the pan and the apples become a glossy, caramelized topping that looks like you worked much harder than you actually did.

My kind of dessert.

There’s no frosting to make and no piping bag involved. The cake makes its own decoration as it bakes.

An easy apple upside-down cake

This recipe takes inspiration from the old-fashioned upside-down cakes many of us know and love. Instead of the familiar pineapple rings, fresh apple slices cover the bottom of the pan.

Butter and brown sugar create a caramel-like layer around the fruit as the cake bakes. Meanwhile, the apples soften and release their juices into the cake.

Once you turn everything out onto a serving plate, that bottom layer becomes the top.

And yes, the flip is a moment.

Commit.

For the best apple upside-down cake, choose apples that hold their shape when baked. I also like apples with a little tartness because they balance the sweetness of the brown sugar.

You want tender slices of caramelized apple on top of your cake, not applesauce hiding underneath it.

How to serve upside-down apple cake

One of my favorite things about this cake is that it sits somewhere between an everyday dessert and a company cake.

It’s simple enough to make when you’ve got a few apples sitting around. Still, it’s pretty enough to bring to the table after Sunday dinner or serve at a fall gathering.

Serve your upside-down apple cake slightly warm or at room temperature. Add softly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream if you’re feeling fancy. However, the buttery caramelized apples mean it really doesn’t need much.

And if a thin slice happens to find its way next to your morning coffee, I’m certainly not here to police when cake becomes breakfast.

This cake is buttery, caramelized, apple-filled, and just nostalgic enough.

Those are some of my favorites.

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Easy Upside-Down Apple Cake with Caramelized Apples

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Description

An upside-down cake knows how to make an entrance.

Turn it out of the pan and there they are: tender slices of caramelized apple, glossy with butter and brown sugar, sitting on top of a soft, buttery cake that has soaked up all those juices while it baked. No frosting. No piping bag. No carrying on. The cake made its own decoration.

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Topping

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup packed brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 Apples (Honeycrisp, Braeburn or Granny Smith) sliced thin

Cake

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup apple butter

1/2 cup half and half

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. You need a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or 9-inch cake or pie pan. If using a cake or pie pan, butter and line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper.

 

2. In a small pot or cast iron skillet (if using), melt 5 tablespoons butter, sugar and cinnamon. Stir until sugar is dissolved.  Spread into pan or skillet. Arrange apples over the brown sugar mixture.

 

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt. In a large bowl and using a hand mixer, cream the butter on medium speed, about 2 minutes. Add both sugars and continue to mix until butter and sugars are light and fluffy. Add eggs one until just combined. Add vanilla, apple butter, and mix until combined.

 

4. Alternate folding in half dry ingredients and half and half. End with dry ingredients. Do not over mix. It will only take a few turns to combine.

    

5. Spoon the batter over the apples. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool about 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.