Salted Caramel Apple Cake (VIDEO)
A moist upside down Salted Caramel Apple Cake recipe is delicious dessert served warm, with fresh whipped cream and a hint of maple syrup! WATCH THE VIDEO!
Lately, with the change of seasons, the nights getting dark earlier, the cooler weather, feasting on one-pot dinners, hanging around as a family at dinner time, it’s been nice to linger.
Salted Caramel Apple Cake
Just letting the moments take on their own flavor, so to speak, and enjoying them and ordinary things, like baking an upside down Salted Caramel Apple Cake! And friends, have you bought my new cookbook? Buy Big Boards for Families today! It’s “editor’s pick” on Amazon this month!
Ingredients for Apple Upside Down Cake
- Butter
- Dark brown sugar
- Sea salt
- Golden Delicious apples (or mix in Granny Smith for a bit more tartness)
- Whole wheat flour ( you can also use all-purpose flour)
- Apple pie spice (or make your own using nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice)
- Baking powder + salt
- Eggs + vanilla
- Whipping cream
- Maple syrup (optional, to add to whipping cream)
How to make Upside Down Salted Caramel Apple Cake
Sauté the apples for 13 minutes, until tender or soft.
Mix together the batter until it’s fluffy.
Fan the sliced apples over bottom of prepared pan. Spread batter on top of apples, then bake!
After cooling, run a small knife around pan edge, and invert the cake onto a plate.
My favorite … serve warm with whipped cream. YUM!
Ordinary is fine.
Ordinary moments are good. They remind us of the mundane things in life, that still have meaning
—work, relationships, dining together, solving problems, learning, growing spiritually and mentally and physically. Noticing colors, nature, scents and smiles. I really do like ordinary.
We owe it to ourselves and to our families and friends to shift our thinking to ordinary being just fine.
Little ways I’ve embraced “ordinary.”
- Get up 1/2 hour earlier every morning so I have time to read, think, pray, have coffee.
- Exercise daily if I can, an ordinary routine we should never stop doing.
- Make my bed first think in the morning.
- Keep my cell phone in the kitchen at night (no phone by my bed).
- Not complain to myself when I have to do the orinary things like pay bills, do dishes, clean house. Just stop complaining.
- Try to be done with my work in time for dinner at night.
- Enjoy cooking and exploring more with flavors, ingredients, and recipes.
- Occasionally pop a note in the mail to a friend, or a little gift.
- Take an ordinary apple …. and bake a cake!
Salted Caramel Apple Cake
It’s an ordinary thing to make a cake, but as I was assemblying the ingredients for this recipe, I thought of my dear friends back home. For almost 40 years they’ve supplied me with apples from their small orchard.
This time, as I pulled the cake out of the oven, I thought of Roger and Faye (now in the mid 80’s).
Loved the smell of butter and apples cooking.
And then pulling the cake out of the oven. Mm-m-m-m- …
The house smelled good, dinner was great, and this cake for dessert was a perfect way to end the day!
That first bite … oh, so good!
Apple cake substitutions:
Use Granny Smith apples or a mix of your favorite fall apple varieties.
You can use all purpose flour in place of whole wheat flour.
Make you own pumpkin pie spice: 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp allspice.
How to serve apple cake:
Vanilla ice cream
Maple syrup whipped cream (sweeten the whipped cream with 2 Tablespoons of maple syrup)
Fresh whipped cream (regular)
ENJOY!
Get the Recipe:
Salted Caramel Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 6 Tbsp. cold butter
- 1 ½ cups packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 5 Golden Delicious apples, cored, peeled, each cut into 8 wedges (or a tarter flavor if you prefer)
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat flour, you can also use all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp. apple pie spice, from McCormick’s but you can use nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ½ cup 1 stick butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- ½ cup whipping cream
- 1 cup whipping cream and 2-3 Tbsp. maple syrup for topping , optional
Equipment
- 10-inch round cake pan (I like Gold Touch for bakeware)
- Large skillet (Everyone should have a cast iron skillet!)
- Stand mixer (I use my KitchenAid stand mixer all the time)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter the bottom of a 10-inch round cake pan with 4 tbsp. butter; sprinkle with 1/2 cup of dark brown sugar and the sea salt. (Optional to use parchment paper.)
- Heat remaining 2 tbsp. cold butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add apples and sauté for 13 minutes, until soft.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour, spices, baking powder, and salt. Add in the butter, 1 cup of dark brown sugar, eggs, whipping cream and vanilla. Beat until smooth for about 2 minutes.
- Fan apples over bottom of prepared pan. Spread batter on top of apples. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes.
- Run a small knife around pan edge. Place a serving plate on top of the pan and turn plate and pan over together. Carefully remove pan. If any apples remain in the pan, place them on the cake.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
- Optional to whip 1 cup of whipping cream (add 2-3 Tbsp. maple syrup after whipped); serve on top, or serve with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
I am a huge fan of my Le Creuset skillet, and I always use my KitchenAid hand mixer for that yummy whipped cream!
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
I don’t have a 10 inch cake pan, can I use a spring form pan?
Hi, yes you can. The baking time may differ though, so keep your eye on it.
Flavor was delicious. Cake texture was very dense – is that how it’s supposed to be?
I made this tonight for our company, and OMG was it amazing! Everyone loved it! I made a couple of changes. I used Granny Smith apples b/c that’s what I had. I didn’t have the apple pie spice so substituted 1 1/2 t. of cinnamon, and used all purpose reg. flour. This was a huge hit, will def. make this again. Thank you sooo much for the recipe.
I cannot find the video! Help!
Hopefully you see it now? It’s embedded in the blog post and we see it :)
I’m xcitedto make this cake, it sounds delicious. My question is: how to make it come out browned on top as in the pictures? The cake is not browned in the video.
Just a difference of photography!
Not only did this make my kitchen smell wonderful, the flavor was divine!
Hi Sandy,
Made this cake to share with coworkers in the Covid 19 crisis . It might be the last time we are together for a while. It turned out beautifully with very special sentiments just like your post. Thanks for the real life reminders . G
Does it matter if pan is glass or metal
No, either works.
I baked this cake today on a cool and windy day. Loved the flavor. Next time I’m going to add some apples to the batter.
Just made this and it perfectly delicious!!
Thank you.
This looks delicious. I’m wondering if this could be cooked in a cast iron skillet. I’ve a pineapple upside down cake in one before.
Yes, give it a try!
My daughter can’t have the heavy whipping cream. would too much change if u subbed it with full fat soy milk?
Erin, I’m really not familiar with cooking with full fat soy milk, so I’m not sure! Sorry! If it works, come back and tell me :)
Made this it was fantastic!!!!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing! :)
What a delicious cake! I wasn’t sure I’d done things right as there didn’t seem much batter to cover the apples, and it didn’t follow the usual “cream butter and sugar…” instructions. I didn’t have whole wheat flour so used all purpose. Also made my own spice mix, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg, 1/2 tsp allspice. Despite my anxiety this turned out to be flavourful, light crumb cake which I served with maple syrup whipped cream. Yum!
How much cinnamon, allspice & nutmeg would replace the apple pie spice?
Would light brown sugar work just as well in this recipe?
: ) they LOVED the cake….and did everyone at the office… thanks for the recipe! your recipes are always a hit!
Great reminders. I just love reading your perspective on life. Thanks for the movie recommendation too!
You’re welcome, Julie. Let me know if you watch it!
Your blog is lovely!
Where does the whipping cream come in? Is it just for homemade whipped cream if desired?
Thanks, Erin. I fixed it – it’s added in with the butter, eggs, vanilla, etc.
100% gorgeous. Yes, ordinary is fine. I fact I think it’s needed. And any season change is a perfect opportunity to soak up ordinary moments. Thanks for sharing, Sandy! Big hugs as you miss your son who is at college. Thanks for the mindful post. XOXO
You’re welcome, Marie. Thanks for stopping by!
I absolutely love reading your posts, they chill me out a little in the midst of our crazy lives. And this cake is AMAZING!!
Give it a try, Matt. You’ll love it! :)
Looks incredible and I love slowing down this time of year. I need it to stay sane.
Love this recipe because it had meaning and purpose. I love that you thought of your friends while baking it. I love the little ways you’ve embraced “ordinary”. So inspiring!
Thanks, sweet Lauren! xo
i am so inspired by your blog….your thoughts really make me stop and think about day to day living…and make me want to have my act more together! i am starting my FIRST women’s bible study group next week (time for me to step out of the box!) and i will be serving your delicious apple cake! : ) thank you!
Good job, Cathy! Happy to hear this, and come back and tell me if they loved the cake!
Your blog is new to me and the reason I signed up to follow is due to things like you have shared today…..your thoughts….your feelings…your family….and just life. Recipes are everywhere, and yours are very nice by the way, but it is what you write beyond the recipes that touch the heart and make your post memorable. Envisioning you with your longtime friends, the apples they brought, and the love baked into that cake, and those wonderful home welcoming aromas for your family as they walked in the door…..that is why I look forward to reading more.
Thanks for reminding us to relish the ordinary, to wrap it around us like a warm well worn quilt and take comfort in it like an cherished and trusted friend.
Thank you, Joan. It’s comments like these that make blogging so worth the time and energy! Appreciate you!
I love ordinary days. And slowing down to enjoy them. You are so right about being rushed…it’s not a fun feeling.
Your cake looks incredible. Holy yum!!!