apple upside down cake

Apple Upside Down Cake is a fall dream! A fluffy & moist cinnamon spiced vanilla cake is baked atop apple slices in a quick caramel sauce. The result is perfectly tender apple slices, swimming in luscious caramel bliss.

this recipe

Why you’ll love this Apple Upside Down Cake:

• Tender Apples – A blanket of caramelized apple slices are equally delish & beautiful!
• Moist Vanilla Cinnamon Cake – A tender vanilla cake is flavored with cinnamon and bakes to moist perfection.
• Surprise Crumb Layer – A surprise crumb layer on bottom adds a delightful, slight crunch that contrasts beautifully with the fluffy cake and tender fruit.

Ingredient Overview:

As always, the full recipe with measurements & directions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Use the table of contents (back at the top, below the first image, to navigate).

• Apples –  Use any good baking apple for the apple filling and topping. Don’t use soft apples like McIntosh as they will become mushy. Use something like Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji. Some people recommend granny smith but I personally don’t like the taste of those.
• Cake Flour – Cake flour produces a lighter crumb in cakes, and I highly recommend using it! Spoon & level your flour for best results, or use a scale. Scooping the measuring cup directly in will lead to too much flour. 1 cup of cake flour weighs 110 grams, whereas 1 cup all-purpose flour weighs 130 grams. (Some people standardize this at 120, 125, or 130 – I’ve chosen 130.)
• Sour Cream – Use full fat sour cream, at room temperature.
• Butter – I always use salted butter for the best flavor, but feel free to use unsalted butter if you prefer. Let it come to room temperature before baking.
• Eggs – Use a large egg, at room temperature.
• Milk – Just like our other cold ingredients, your milk needs to be at room temperature. I use 2% milk, but whole milk works too.
• Vanilla extract – Use a good quality, pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.

Recipe Substitutions & Variations:

• Gluten-free – I have not tested a gluten-free version of this recipe.
• Dairy-free – I think this recipe would work with your favorite, trusted, dairy-free butter, milk, and sour cream. However, I have not tested it myself.
• Other Versions – In the winter, you’ll love my Blood Orange Upside Down Cake. Then, make my Rhubarb Upside Down Cake in spring, and my Peach Upside Down Cake in summer!

How to Make this Apple Upside Down Cake:

Step 1: Make the Crumb Layer. In a small bowl, stir together melted butter, flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

Step 2: Make the Caramel. Melt together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and apple cider.

Pour into the bottom of a prepared 9-inch cake pan, then layer apple slices on top.

Step 3: Make the Cake Batter. Cream together the butter and oil, then beat in the sugar and eggs. Next, alternate mixing in the dry ingredients and milk until a slightly thin batter forms.

Step 4: Assemble Cake. Pour the batter over the apple slices, then add the crumb layer.

Step 5: Bake. Bake as directed in the recipe card below.

Serving + Storing:

Let cake rest for 10 minutes on a wire rack before inverting onto a plate and serving. Serve with whipped cream! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Expert Baking Tips:

• Oven Thermometer – An oven thermometer will tell you if your oven is actually running at the temperature you set it to. Your oven may not be accurate. Accurate oven temperature is crucial for most bakes, so I leave an oven thermometer in at all times to keep an eye on my oven’s calibration.
• Kitchen Scale – A food scale is the best way to make sure your flour is at the proper weight, since amounts will vary SO widely based on how you measure it, as well as the measuring cup you use, as they are not standardized.

FAQs:

More Apple Recipes to Love:

• Caramel Apple Cake
• Apple Pie Cheesecake
• Apple Fritters with Apple Cider Glaze
• Salted Caramel Apple Galette
• Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
• Caramel Apple Crumb Cake

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