Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cake – This caramel apple upside-down cake is an epic fall dessert! Here we combine a buttery shortbread crust with delicious caramelized apples. It’s like two desserts in one! The presentation of this caramel apple cake is simply delightful – with the crispy buttery crust topped with beautifully caramelized apples, it’s almost too pretty to eat. But trust us, you’ll want to dig in right away. It’s simple to make and perfect for dessert or even breakfast!
Table of Contents
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Ingredients list for the apple cake recipe
- 4 to 5 apples
- 2/3 cup (120g) granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1/2 stick (60g) unsalted butter + 1 tablespoon for the apples
- 1 cup toasted walnuts, optional
For the pastry
- 1-1/2 cups (150g) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (80g) confectionner sugar
- 1-1/2 sticks (150g) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 whole egg (optional)
- 1/4 cup cold water
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Upside-down caramel apple cake recipe
Upside-down apple cake is a Fall classic that everyone loves here at Eatwell101! Indulge in the perfect autumn treat with a heavenly combination of caramel and apple in this amazing upside-down cake. Moist, flavorful, and lavishly topped with a luscious caramel glaze and crunchy walnuts, it’s a must-have dessert for the season.
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Directions
Make the crust:
1. To make the caramel apple cake: Line a baking sheet or tray with parchment paper. In your food processor, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the cold butter and pulse quickly until the butter gets a coarse-grainy texture, about 5 seconds. Add the egg and sprinkle the ice water over the mixture and pulse until just moistened and very crumbly, about 5 seconds. You might pulse by increment until you get the proper texture.
2. Remove the dough from the food processor, transfer it to a lightly floured work surface, and knead a few times with your hands until the dough comes together into a ball. Flatten the dough into a thick disk. Flour your work surface again and dust the disc of dough with flour.
3. Wrap the dough with cling wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the apples and the caramel.
Make the caramel and apple filling:
1. Preheat your oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Peel, quarter, and cut the apples into thin wedges.
2. In a saucepan, sprinkle the sugar evenly over the bottom and drizzle with water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture bubbles and turns a light brown color, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the butter until melted. Be careful of the caramel splashes. Set the caramel aside.
3. In a skillet, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and cook the apples, stirring from time to time until they take some color, about 15 minutes.
4. Pour the caramel into the bottom of a rectangular baking pan (13 x 4 1/2 inches) – any shape you like: round, oval… Remove the apples from the heat and arrange in the baking pan, on top of the caramel
5. Flatten your pastry in a rectangular shape with a rolling pin and tuck it into the baking pan over the apples. Prick the pastry with a fork.
6. Bake the apple cake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the pastry is a deep golden brown on top.
7. Let the baking pan cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes then carefully invert the apple cake onto a rimmed serving plate. Decorate with toasted walnuts, and drizzle with more of the caramel, if you like. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes before slicing. Enjoy! ❤️
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Tips for the caramel apple upside-down cake recipe
As easy as it is to put together, here are some tips and tricks on getting the best results for this upside-down caramel apple cake:
- You can any variety of apples you like. We usually use Honeycrisp for the apple cake. If you like something tarter, use Granny Smiths.
- You can make the pastry ahead of time and keep it in your refrigerator wrapped in plastic until ready to bake.
- If you’re short on time, you can use store-bought refrigerated pastry instead.
- Nothing prevents you from serving the caramel apple cake with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream for a decadent treat!
How to keep caramel apple cake leftovers
You can keep any apple cake leftovers for up to 2 days on the counter or covered in your refrigerator.
More apple dessert recipes
- 20 Delicious Apple Recipes to Try This Fall
- Cinnamon Apple Tart
- French Cinnamon Apple Tart
- Rose Apple Tarts
- Fresh Apple Pie
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
