Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake (Gluten Free)

If you want to slice Autumn, set it on a plate, and enjoy it with a scoop of melty vanilla ice cream after a slow-simmered fall meal—or in the morning with a toasted, nutty espresso—this is the cake to do it with.

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a baker. I love baked goods, the smells, and consuming them, but I actively avoid the process because it requires too much precision for my liking. So, when I set out to make my mom the ultimate autumn dessert for her birthday, I didn't hold my breath. These cakes were made with flour, apples, butter, sugar, love (and a sprinkle of thoughts and prayers).

Ingredients

Caramel Apple Topping

4 medium-sized apples (preferably Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup salted butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cinnamon Spice Cake

2 1/4 cups King Arthur Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
1 teaspoon xanthum gum
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon gluten free vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup milk, at room temperature

Suggestions

I'm not above doctoring a box cake, especially when I feel like a fish out of water baking. You can use the topping with a basic yellow box cake and simply add cinnamon and nutmeg to the sponge. I believe that if it tastes good, it doesn't matter if you're not going to be star baker. The most important part is a house filled with the aroma of cinnamon apples and a festive dessert to share with loved ones.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).

2. Prepare topping first: Combine butter and brown sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk occasionally until butter has melted. Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute as mixture thickens. Remove from heat and whisk in the cinnamon and vanilla extract. Pour into an ungreased 9×2 inch pie dish or round cake pan. (Make sure the pan is 2 inches deep. My vintage cake pans have a removable top so I also put down parchment incase the sauce ran out the bottom) Arrange the apple slices neatly on top, overlapping where necessary. Place pan in the refrigerator for a few minutes as you prepare the cake batter. This helps solidify or “set” the topping’s arrangement.

3. Make the cake batter: Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together. Set aside.

4. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add sugar and beat on high speed until creamed together, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add half of the dry mixture and mix to combine. On high speed, beat in the eggs (adding one at a time) and vanilla extract until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Pour the rest of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer onto low speed and as the mixer runs, slowly pour in the milk. Beat on low speed just until all of the ingredients are combined. Do not over-mix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.

5. Remove topping from the refrigerator. Pour and spread cake batter evenly over topping.

6. Bake for 40–46 minutes, the cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean—a couple moist crumbs are OK. Don’t be alarmed if your cake takes longer or gets a little darker or bubbly. (We serve the cake upside down anyway!)

7. Remove cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for just 15 minutes. Invert the slightly cooled cake onto a cake stand or serving plate. Some of the juices from the topping will seep over the sides—that’s ok. You can slice and serve the cake warm, but the slices will be messy. I find it’s best to cool the cake completely at room temperature before slicing and serving. Do not refrigerate the cake to speed up the cooling process because it could end up tasting overly dense.

8. Cover leftover slices and store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

A note from the kitchen

I've workshopped this recipe for various fruits. After my shocking diagnosis of a pineapple allergy in 2017 (turns out it wasn't supposed to be spicy!), I set out to make my favorite cake edible without a side of Benadryl. This is the one dessert I feel reasonably capable of making, or at least doctoring a box mix for.

Now, this recipe could use some more tweaking (especially since it's gluten-free, and apparently, chemistry has new rules sans gluten). But I'm sharing it with you anyway because we're all friends here.

If you don't trust me—and I've done such a great job selling my baking skills, so why wouldn't you?—I've realized the internet is a gorgeous place, and my idea wasn't as original as I thought. So, I've linked some recipes below from qualified bakers, just in case.

No hard feelings—I'll see you back here for soup season, which I'm the queen of.

SNAG SOME KITCHEN ESSENTIALS

And now from real bakers…

1. The Loopy Whisk
2. Delish
3. Call Me Cupcake