Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

two slices cut into caramel apple cake with third slice on stack of white plates beside with apples, white flowers, and caramel sauce around.

Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

Sweeten your day with a slice of this Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake! It tastes like Fall in every bite. Tender and moist spice cake, topped with juicy apples, and caramel-y brown sugar. So simple, but SO. GOOD.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 50

Total Time: 1 15

Servings:

Calories: 425kcal

Ingredients

Topping

½ cup brown sugar packed
¼ cup water
1 large granny smith apple peeled, cored, sliced

Cake

1½ cups all purpose flour*
⅞ cup brown sugar firmly packed
2 teaspoon apple pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup sour cream
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Heat oven to 350℉.
Line bottom of an 8 inch x 3 inch round pan with parchment paper.
Spray with baking spray.

Topping

Dissolve brown sugar in water.
Pour in prepared pan.
Arrange apple slices in syrup. Set aside.

Cake

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, apple pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, sour cream, and vanilla.
Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
Mix well.
Pour over apple mixture.
Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until done.
Allow to cool before turn out.

Notes

*This recipe was written using an average of the dip and sweep method for measuring flour and the spoon and level method. If you are using a scale, you will need to add 3/4 oz or 22 g to the measurement for each cup of flour.

Expert Tips:

You can use any kind of baking apple for this cake.
Be careful to not over-mix your cake.
It’s best to slowly ladle the cake batter over the apple slices, making sure that it’s level and even, especially around the edges!
This cake needs to be baked in an 8-inch round by 3-inch tall cake pan, as it may rise quite a bit while baking. Place a sheet pan underneath the cake pan in the oven, just to be sure that, if any cooks over the pan, it doesn’t go into your oven!
Sometimes with this cake, it can be difficult to tell when it’s done by using a cake-tester or toothpick. If you have an instant read thermometer, it’s best to use that! The internal temperature of the cake should read 200℉ when fully baked.
If any of the apple slices stick to the pan after you turn the cake out, no worries! Simply place it back onto the cake. Just be very careful, as it will be hot!

Nutrition