Description
Sweet caramel notes embrace Brown Butter Apple Upside Down Cake, creating a rustic dessert that celebrates seasonal harvest magic. Warm spices and tender fruit nestled beneath golden crumb promise pure comfort in each delightful slice you’ll savor.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1.52 lbs (690 g) Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (135 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 3/4 cup (150 g) white sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 g) dark brown sugar, packed
Dairy and Flavoring Ingredients:
- 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, browned
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) sour cream, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Spices and Leavening Agents:
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Transform butter into a golden-hued nectar by gently heating in a skillet, stirring consistently until it develops a rich, butterscotch-like aroma with delicate amber flecks.
- Transfer the liquid gold to a separate vessel, allowing it to cool and settle.
- Cleanse the skillet and introduce apple slices with a whisper of cinnamon, sautéing until they soften yet maintain structural integrity.
- Calibrate the oven’s temperature to 350°F and prepare a 9-inch cake vessel with a protective layer of butter or non-stick spray.
- Craft a luxurious caramel foundation by melting butter and integrating dark brown sugar until the mixture becomes glossy and harmonious.
- Cascade the caramel evenly across the prepared pan’s surface, then artfully arrange the sautéed apple slices in a uniform layer.
- Combine flour, leavening agent, and salt in a receptacle, creating a dry ingredient symphony.
- In a separate vessel, amalgamate the cooled browned butter with white and dark brown sugars until smooth and integrated.
- Incorporate eggs individually, whisking thoroughly between additions, then blend in vanilla and sour cream.
- Delicately fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture, ensuring minimal manipulation to preserve the batter’s tenderness.
- Gently pour the batter over the apple arrangement, smoothing the surface with a spatula.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, monitoring until a inserted toothpick emerges pristine.
- Allow the cake to rest in the pan for a brief 10-minute interlude before inverting onto a serving platform.
- Permit slight cooling before slicing and presenting this golden confection.
Notes
- Butter Browning Technique: Heat butter slowly to develop rich, nutty flavors without burning, watching color carefully and stirring consistently.
- Apple Texture Control: Pre-cook apple slices briefly to ensure they hold shape during baking and prevent excess moisture in the cake.
- Caramel Stability: Use dark brown sugar for deeper flavor and more stable caramel base that won’t separate during baking.
- Gluten-Free Adaptation: Swap regular flour with 1:1 gluten-free flour blend to make the cake suitable for those with wheat sensitivities.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 325
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg