Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cake
Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cake brings together tender butter cake, cinnamon apples, and a quick brown sugar caramel. As it bakes, the batter sets over the fruit; once inverted while warm, the glazed apples become the cake’s inviting top.
The method is straightforward, but a few details matter: choose a solid cake pan, layer the apples snugly, and handle the turn-out with care. These choices help the cake hold its shape and let the fruit show through.
Why the apples and caramel work together
Firm apples are a good fit here because the wedges need to keep their shape beneath the cake. Peeling and coring them makes each piece easy to cut and eat, while the snug, overlapping layer helps cover the caramel evenly. Ground cinnamon and brown sugar give the fruit a warm, familiar flavor.
The caramel begins with butter, packed light brown sugar, cinnamon, and fine salt. Stirring it until smooth and bubbling helps the ingredients come together before the caramel goes into the pan. Spread the apple layer evenly so each slice of cake gets fruit and glaze rather than a bare patch.
Build a tender butter cake batter
Softened butter and granulated sugar should be beaten until light and fluffy. This gives the batter an airy starting point. Eggs at room temperature blend in more readily; add them one at a time, then mix in the vanilla bean powder so its flavor is distributed through the cake.
Alternating the flour mixture with whole milk helps bring the batter together without overmixing. Begin and end with the flour mixture, and stop once everything is combined. Mixing beyond that point can make the finished cake less tender. When spreading the batter over the apples, work gently and level it so it covers the fruit without disturbing the layer underneath.
Choose the pan and turn out the cake carefully
Use a solid, evenly sized round cake pan and butter its bottom and sides generously. A solid pan contains the warm caramel as the cake bakes; a springform pan can allow it to escape. The batter should cover the apples evenly before the pan goes into the oven.
After baking, give the cake time to cool in the pan, then run a thin knife around the edge to loosen it. Place a serving plate over the pan and invert carefully. Lifting the pan straight off helps reveal the fruit layer in place. The cake should be turned out while still warm, as directed, so the caramel and apples can release together.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I use a solid cake pan?
The brown sugar caramel is warm and fluid when it goes into the pan. A solid cake pan helps keep it contained as the cake bakes, while a springform pan may let caramel escape. Butter the bottom and sides generously to prepare the pan for turning out the cake.
How can I keep the cake tender?
Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, and add the eggs one at a time. Alternate the flour mixture with the milk, beginning and ending with flour. Once the batter is combined, stop mixing to avoid overworking it.
When should I invert the cake?
Let it cool in the pan first, then loosen the edge with a thin knife. Turn it out while still warm, placing a serving plate over the pan before inverting carefully. This timing helps the caramel-coated apples release with the cake.
Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cake
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy8
slices25
minutes45
minutes480
kcal1
hour20
minutesThis tender butter cake is baked over cinnamon apples and a quick brown sugar caramel. Invert it while warm to show off the glazed fruit.
Ingredients
- Apple caramel
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened, for the pan
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
3 medium firm apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
- Cake
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean powder
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
Directions
- Prepare
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a solid 9-inch round cake pan. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
- Make the batter
- Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla bean powder. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions; begin and end with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined.
- Add the apples
- Melt the 5 tablespoons butter with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir and cook for 5 minutes, until smooth and bubbling. Pour the caramel into the prepared pan and arrange the apple wedges in a snug, overlapping layer.
- Bake
- Spread the batter evenly over the apples. Bake for 40 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Invert
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge, place a serving plate over the pan, and carefully invert the cake onto the plate. Lift off the pan.
Notes
- Use a solid cake pan rather than a springform pan so the warm caramel stays contained.
