Brown Butter Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake
A tender, warmly spiced cake baked beneath a layer of soft apples and rich brown butter caramel, then flipped to reveal its golden, sticky top. This upside-down cake is simple and comforting, the kind of dessert that feels right at home on a fall afternoon—served warm with a spoonful of whipped cream or melting scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
For the Caramel Apple Topping:
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon real maple syrup optional
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 medium fresh apples like Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Pink Lady, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Optional: ¼ cup chopped walnuts
For the Cake Batter:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour or high-protein flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup salted butter room temp
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup sour cream or ⅓ cup sourdough discard
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides.
- Combine butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until melted and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon, allspice, maple syrup (if using), and vanilla.
- Arrange apple slices over the bottom of the pan on top of the caramel mixture in an even layer. Sprinkle with walnuts if using.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together browned butter, both sugars, eggs, sour cream, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix with a spatula or on low speed using an electric mixer, scraping the sides of the bowl. Do not overmix.
- Pour the cake batter over the apples in the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40–45 minutes, or until the center of the cake tests done.
- Cool for 15–20 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around the edges of the cake, place a serving plate on top, and invert to release the caramelized apples on top.
- Let the cake cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.