Upside down. That is what this cake is and it is delectable! If you’ve never heard of them before, an upside-down cake is one that is baked in a pan, then turned over and served upside down. They’re usually made with a chopped fruit layered between a butter/sugar mixture in the bottom of the pan and a batter layer in the top of the pan. The butter & sugar bake into the fruit layer, becoming the top of the cake once it is inverted.

People started making cakes this way back in the Middle Ages when there were no such things as ovens. Fruit & sugar were layered in the bottom of a cast iron skillet, with a simple cake batter added over the top. Then it was placed over the fire (and later on the stove top) to cook. The cake was flipped out of the pan, allowing the cook to show off the fruit that had gone into the skillet first. Pineapple Upside Down Cake may be the flavor that most people associate with an upside down cake, but those didn’t come along until the mid-1920s, just over 10 years after a Dole engineer invented a machine that cut pineapples into rings. Apples & cherries were the fruits used for the first skillet cakes. The twist in this apple recipe is the salted caramel aspect of the cake.

Salted Caramel Apple Cake  (adapted from familycircle.com)

Makes: 12 servings,  Prep time: 25 minutes,  Bake time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons cold butter
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 apples (about 2 pounds), cored, peeled, & cut into 8ths
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)

Directions

Heat oven to 350º F. Thinly slice 4 tablespoons of the butter and dot it around the bottom of a 10-inch round cake pan. Sprinkle the pan with 1/2 cup of the brown sugar and the sea salt.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of the cold butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and sauté them for 13 to 15 minutes, until they are tender. Allow the apples to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, (or 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice), baking powder, and salt together. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the softened stick of butter and the remaining 1 cup of brown sugar until they are smooth.

Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add in the vanilla. On low speed, beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture, alternating with the half-and-half. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for 1 minute more.

Fan the apples over the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the batter over the apples. Bake the cake at 350º F for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool it for 15 minutes in the pan.

Run a small knife around the edge of pan. Place a serving plate on top of the pan and turn the plate and pan over together. Carefully remove the pan. If any apples remain in the pan, replace them on cake.

Serve the cake warm or at room temperature with the whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

Caramel & apples together in a cake is wonderfully delicious!  ~Linda

Salted Caramel Apple Cake  (adapted from familycircle.com)

Makes: 12 servings,  Prep time: 25 minutes,  Bake time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons cold butter
• 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 apples (about 2 pounds), cored, peeled, & cut into 8ths
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)

Directions

Heat oven to 350º F. Thinly slice 4 tablespoons of the butter and dot it around the bottom of a 10-inch round cake pan. Sprinkle the pan with 1/2 cup of the brown sugar and the sea salt.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of the cold butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and sauté them for 13 to 15 minutes, until they are tender. Allow the apples to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, (or 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice), baking powder, and salt together. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the softened stick of butter and the remaining 1 cup of brown sugar until they are smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add in the vanilla. On low speed, beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture, alternating with the half-and-half. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for 1 minute more.

Fan the apples over the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the batter over the apples. Bake the cake at 350º F for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool it for 15 minutes in the pan.

Run a small knife around the edge of pan. Place a serving plate on top of the pan and turn the plate and pan over together. Carefully remove the pan. If any apples remain in the pan, replace them on cake.

Serve the cake warm or at room temperature with the whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.