Recipe below! Apples make an ideal upside down cake, since they caramelize so nicely and the juice meld with the sugar syrup, making for a shiny, saucy glaze when the cake is inverted.
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Makes 1 9-inch (20 cm) cake
Serves 12
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• Ingredients •
Caramel Apple Layer:
3 apples (Granny Smith, Mutsu or similar), peeled, cored and each cut into 8 wedges
2 Tbsp (30 mL) water
1 Tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter
Cake:
¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter at room temperature
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (100 g) packed dark brown sugar
4 large eggs at room temperature, separated
1/3 cup (80 mL) sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups (187 g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
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• Directions •
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9-inch (23 cm) cake pan and place it on a parchment-lined baking tray.
2. For the caramel apple layer, arrange the apples tightly together in the bottom of the prepared pan. Pour the water and lemon juice into a small saucepot, and then add the sugar. Bring this mixture to a boil without stirring and continue to boil, occasionally brushing the sides of the pot down with water, until it is a rich caramel color, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, whisk in the butter until melted and pour the caramel over the apples, coating them as much as possible (but don’t worry if they are not completely coated). Set aside while preparing the cake.
3. Beat the butter, sugar and brown sugar together. Add the egg yolks, sour cream and vanilla and beat until blended.
4. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and stir this into the butter mixture.
5. In another bowl, whip the 4 egg whites until they hold a soft peak and fold them into the cake batter in 2 additions. Scrape the batter overtop of the apples and spread evenly.
6. Bake the cake for about 45 minutes, until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the inside edge of the cake pan and place a serving plate overtop the pan. Flip the cake over and lift the pan off, revealing the caramel apple top.