The deliciously caramelised Apples, the moist butter cake, the spices, the smell... This Spiced Upside Down Apple Cake has it all - and makes the ultimate Fall and Winter dessert!
Why we love this recipe
Do you prefer your apples baked in your cake, on your cake or under your cake? For me, it just depends on my current craving!
Sometimes, I want a super moist cake baked with apples inside the batter like my French Apple Cake, Apple Loaf Cake or my Gluten Free Apple Cake. Other times, like today, I want the taste and texture of delicious caramelised apples to shine, just like my Puff Pastry Apple Tartlets or this Apple Oatmeal Bake!
And I don't know any better way to make apples shine than with this easy upside-down Apple Caramel Cake!
Ingredients
There are two parts in making this Caramelised Apple Cake. First, pre-cook the apples in a delicious spiced caramel. Then cover it with a super simple butter cake batter to finish the baking.
For the Caramelised Apples:
- Apples
- Unsalted Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Cinnamon Powder (you can use any spices that you like)
- Lemon Juice
The Brown Sugar and Butter will create a deliciously rich tasty caramel that will be enhanced with the sprinkle of lemon juice.
And what would be baked apples without some cinnamon powder? You can also add any spices that you like with your apples, such as Ginger, Nutmeg, Star Anise, etc...
For the Butter Cake Batter:
- Soft Unsalted Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Paste
- Eggs
- Plain Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Full Cream Milk
How to make this Upside-Down Cake with Apples
1. Pre-cook your apples in a spiced caramel:
- Peel, core and cut your apples into thin strips.
- Place the Butter, Brown Sugar, Cinnamon and Lemon Juice in a saucepan on a medium heat. Gently stir in the apples and leave the ingredients to melt together and caramelise for about 10 minutes.
It is up to you whether you want to caramelise your apples further or keep them rather crispy as I did.
2. Prepare your upside-down cake batter:
- Cream the very Soft Butter with the Brown Sugar. Beat it for a few minutes to add a lot of air into the batter.
- Add the Vanilla Paste, then the Eggs one at the time.
- In a seperate bowl, sift your dry ingredients together: Plain Flour, Baking Powder and Salt.
- Add the rest of the ingredient into the cake batter, alternating between the dry ingredients and the Milk
I highly recommend using a Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer when creaming the butter and sugar together. If the two ingredients are not well mixed (or not mixed for long enough), you will see your batter split when you add your eggs.
3. Put the upside-down cake together:
Putting together any upside-down cake is super easy. Just like for my Blackberry Upside-Down Cake, Blood Orange Upside Down Cake or my Upside-Down Plum Cake, you simply need to put the fruits at the bottom of your pan and cover it with the cake batter.
- Line a 22cm / 9inch springform pan with baking paper and place the caramelised apples on the bottom of the pan. Start by making a first circle in the centre of the pan, then make your way around towards the edges of the pan. Pour any leftover juice and caramel over the fruits.
- Pour the cake batter over the apples. The apples should be fully covered - use an offset spatula or a silicone spatula to gently spread out the batter if needed.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, then leave to cool for at least 15 minutes.
Note that in some oven, the cake will take longer to bake - poke a knife or a skewer in the cake to check if it is baked. If you do not see any batter or wet crumbs attached to the knife, the cake is ready.
- Carefully flip the cake and serve still warm. I recommend waiting about 15 minutes before flipping the cake so it has time to cool down a little bit. If you flip it straight away, it is possible the cake will crack.
Recipe FAQs
There are many different variety of apples that you can use, whether you like something sweet, tangy or crisp.
For this recipe, it is better to use an apple that is rather firm so that they don't loose their shape when cooked. You also want an apple that has a crisp taste because the caramel will bring some sweetness.
Here are the types of apples I recommend using for this recipe: Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Pink Lady or Braeburn
You can ready more about how to choose the best apples for baking here.
This cake is better eaten straight away and still warm. If you are not going to eat it straight away, leave it to cool down completely then cover it tightly with wrap or aluminium foil.
When ready to be served, place the cake back in the oven for about 5 to 10 minutes, covered with aluminium foil to warm it up.
The cake will stay moist at room temperature (in a dry environment) for 2 to 3 days. Note that if it is very warm in your kitchen, you may want to keep the keep in the fridge.
I would not recommend freezing this cake, as the apple will likely become soggy and start falling off the cake when thawed.
More Apple Desserts and Cakes
- Apple Galette with Applesauce
- Apple and Pear Crumble
- Easy homemade Applesauce
- Apple Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread
- Apple Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
- French Apple Tart
Made this recipe?
Let us know if you liked it by leaving a comment below, and tag us on Instagram @a.baking.journey with a photo of your creation!
Apple Upside-Down Cake
Ingredients
Caramelised Apples
- 3 Apples
- 1/4 cup (60gr) Unsalted Butter
- 2 tbsp (25gr) Brown Sugar
- 1 teasp. Cinnamon Powder
- 1/2 Lemon, Juiced
Cake Batter
- 1/2 cup (100gr) Butter, soft
- 3 tbsp (40gr) Brown Sugar
- 1/2 teasp. Vanilla Extract
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup (150gr) Plain Flour
- 1 1/2 teasp. Baking Powder
- 1 pinch Salt
- 1/2 cup (120ml) Full Cream Milk
Disclaimer
I highly recommend using the measurements in grams & ml (instead of cups & spoons) for more accuracy and better results.
Instructions
Caramelised Apples
- Peel, core and cut the apples in thin slices.
- Place the Butter, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Powder in a large pan and dissolved on low heat. Stir in the Lemon Juice, the add the Apple Slices.
- Mix well to evenly cover the apples with the caramel and leave to caramelise for 5 to 10 minutes, occasionally stiring. The apples should be soft but still hold their shape. Turn off the heat and leave to cool down for a few minutes.
Cake Batter
- Preheat your oven on 180'C/350'F. Line a 22cm / 9'' Springform Pan with Baking Paper and set aside.
- With a mixer, cream the Soft Butter with the Brown Sugar to get a homogenuous thick paste (1).
- Add the Vanilla Extract then the Eggs one at the time, beating well between each egg.
- In a seperate bowl, sift the dry Ingredients together: Plain Flour, Baking Powder and Salt.
- Mix in about 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then 1/3 of the Milk. Keep adding the ingredients in 1/3 batches until all incorporated, alternating between the dry ingredients and the milk (2)
- Pour the cake batter over the caramelised apples and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tip of a knife comes out clean.
- Leave to cool down for at least 15 minutes before carefully flipping the cake over. Serve warm or lukewarm on its own or with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream, Whipped Cream or Homemade Applesauce.
Notes
- You want to cream the butter and sugar for a few minutes to incorporate as much air as possible. 3 to 5 minutes of beating are recommended for the best results
- Stop mixing as soon as all the ingredients are incorporated to avoid overworking the batter.
Emily says
This cake was so good. Great recipe and tips! Thanks, Sylvie!
A Baking Journey says
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Althea W says
My upside down cake looks good and was not overly sweet. However; my Cake came out flat about the height of a bar. Could someone tell me possibly why this occurred?
A Baking Journey says
Hi Althea, I can think of a few reasons the cake wouldn't rise:
- Did you use a baking pan larger than the one I used? This would result in a flatter cake as the batter is spread out more
- Not enough air was incorporated into the batter when mixing the butter and sugar
- The baking powder you used was old(er) and not 100% active
- There was an issue with the oven temperature
Glad you enjoyed the look and taste of the cake though!
Althea W says
Just checked and baking powder is good. Did have an issue while creaming; my brown sugar was lumpy in batter so I tossed the lumps.
A Baking Journey says
That could have been the reason why 🙂 If you get lumps while creaming the butter and sugar, it usually is because your butter is not soft enough
Jocelyn (Grandbaby Cakes) says
I adore the design of the apples on top. Super stunning for fall entertaining.
A Baking Journey says
Thank you so much Jocelyn!
Gloria says
I happen to think simple, rustic desserts are the best. Apple season is just ramping up. This is perfect for dessert, or on the weekend brunch menu too.
A Baking Journey says
Completely agree, rustic and simple are often the best 🙂
Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen says
I love upside down cakes and the texture of this looks amazing! What a great cake to enjoy in the fall!
A Baking Journey says
Love a good upside down cake! Thanks Carrie
Danielle Wolter says
This is such an incredible recipe for apple fans! We thoroughly enjoyed it and can't wait to make it again!
A Baking Journey says
SO happy to hear that Danielle!