Apple Walnut Upside Down Cake Food

CRANBERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• For the cranberries: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place a cooling rack in a rimmed baking sheet. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan with butter. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment and butter the parchment.
• Mix the cranberries, butter, sugar, orange zest and juice in the prepared cake pan until well coated. (The butter will start to clump up from the cold fruit, and that is okay.) Bake until the cranberries are very soft and caramelized, 40 to 45 minutes.
• For the cake: Meanwhile, beat the butter, sugar, cream, eggs, vanilla and almond extract in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until combined.
• Reduce the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour the cake batter on top of the cranberries and smooth out the top with a rubber spatula (the juice from the cranberries will float on top of the cake a little). Tap the pan on the counter three times to evenly distribute the batter. Bake until the cake is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 65 to 70 minutes.
• Cool the cake on the prepared rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack and remove the parchment. Put any cranberries that fall off or that stick to the pan on top of the cake. Let cool completely on the rack, about 1 hour. Brush the top with the honey and dollop whipped cream in the center of the cake before serving.

UPSIDE-DOWN APPLE-SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In 13x9-inch pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar and walnuts over butter; stir to combine. Sprinkle chopped apples in pan.
• Mix cake as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan, using water, oil and eggs. Pour batter over apples and walnuts in pan.
• Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on cooling rack 2 minutes; run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Place heatproof serving plate upside down on pan; turn plate and pan over. Remove pan. Serve cake warm.

CARAMEL APPLE CAKE

Steps:

• Butter a 9-by-3-inch round cake pan. Make the caramel: Cook the sugar and corn syrup in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is dark amber, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Carefully add the cream and 4 tablespoons butter (it will splatter) and cook, stirring, until combined, about 3 minutes.
• Remove the skillet from the heat and let sit 1 minute. Pour 1 1/2 cups caramel into a glass measuring cup and set aside. Pour the remaining caramel into the prepared pan and set aside until set, about 30 minutes.
• Cut 3 apples into quarters and cut out the cores with a paring knife. Arrange the pieces skin-side down in the pan (overlapping them slightly) to form a ring about 1/2 inch from the edge. Save any pieces that do not fit for later.
• Halve the remaining whole apple crosswise. Scoop out the seeds with a melon baller or measuring spoon, leaving the stem on the top half. Chop the bottom and any of the leftover quartered apples into pieces; set aside.
• Arrange the apple top, stem-side down, in the center of the pan. If the quartered apples shift, just push them back into place.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the batter: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream, orange juice and vanilla.
• Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Crack the eggs into a small bowl. Slip them into the mixer bowl, one at a time, and beat until the mixture is pale and creamy, about 5 more minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beater with a rubber spatula.
• With the mixer on low speed, add half of the sour cream mixture, then half of the flour mixture. Repeat. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula; finish combining the batter by hand.
• Spread the batter over the apples in the pan. Top with the chopped apple. Bake on the middle oven rack until the cake is brown on top and springs back when pressed, 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes (don't worry if the top is dark). Cool in the pan on a rack.
• Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a skillet wide enough to hold the cake pan. Carefully run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan several times, then rest the pan in the water to soften the caramel, about 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the water and dry.
• Invert a plate on top of the cake, then flip over the cake and plate. Using pot holders or a towel, wriggle the pan off. Soften the reserved 1 1/2 cups caramel in the microwave, about 2 minutes. Drizzle the cake with some of the caramel. Slice and serve with the rest.

APPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Pour butter into an ungreased 9-in. round baking pan; sprinkle with 1/2 cup brown sugar. Arrange apples in a single layer over brown sugar; layer with walnuts and remaining brown sugar., In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk and sour cream, beating well after each addition. Beat in brandy if desired., Spoon batter over brown sugar layer. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Serve warm.

APPLE-WALNUT UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°F. Spread out walnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing once, until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, heat a 10" ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium. Add 2 Tbsp. butter and swirl to coat; arrange apple halves cut sides down in a single layer in skillet. Cook apples, undisturbed, rotating skillet on burner as needed for even browning, until cut sides are golden brown, 5-10 minutes (the timing depends on the juiciness of the apples; juicier apples will take longer). Turn apples over and cook on rounded sides just until they start to release their juices and the tip of a knife slides through with slight resistance, about 5 minutes. Transfer apples to a plate, arrange cut sides up, and let cool.
• Add ¼ cup brown sugar and 1 Tbsp. water to skillet and set over medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon or heatproof rubber spatula until sugar is dissolved, then cook, swirling skillet occasionally (do not stir at this point), until thick and bubbling in a thin layer, about 1 minute. Let caramel cool in skillet.
• Meanwhile, pulse toasted walnuts, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and 1½ tsp. cinnamon in a food processor until combined and nuts are finely ground. Transfer walnut mixture to a medium bowl.
• Combine granulated sugar, remaining ¼ cup brown sugar, and remaining 8 Tbsp. butter in food processor (no need to wash it) and process in long pulses until mixture is light and smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and process in long pulses, scraping down sides of processor once, until mixture is smooth. Add half of walnut mixture and pulse to combine, then add yogurt and pulse just until incorporated. Add remaining walnut mixture and pulse just to combine.
• Arrange apple halves cut sides down over cooled caramel in skillet, spacing evenly. Fold batter a few times with spatula, scraping sides to make sure everything is well mixed. Scrape batter over apples and work into spaces around apples. Smooth surface (it's okay if there's only a thin layer of batter in places; it will rise in the oven).
• Bake cake until it is browned across the entire surface and the center springs back when gently pressed, 30-40 minutes. Let cake cool in skillet 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula or a small knife around the sides of the pan to loosen. Set a wire rack upside down on skillet and flip over to release cake; carefully remove skillet. If any apples or cake stick to skillet, scrape them off and press back onto the top of the cake.
• Serve cake warm or room temperature. Slice into wedges and top with dollops of whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.
• Do Ahead: Cake can be baked 2 days ahead. Let cool completely. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

APPLE-WALNUT UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• For the topping, melt 1 teaspoon of the butter in a medium-size cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples and saute until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Combine the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and the brown sugar in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until melted and well blended. Butter a 10-inch pan with 3-inch sides and spread the brown- sugar mixture in the bottom. Arrange the apple slices in the pan in concentric circles. Set aside.
• For the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until light. Mix in the vanilla. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and walnuts. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just to combine. Spread the batter evenly over the apples. Bake until the cake springs back when touched in the center, about 1 hour. Let stand for 10 minutes and invert onto a cake plate. Let cool. Serve slightly warm.

TOFFEE APPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly grease and flour a 9x9-inch baking dish or cake pan using butter and flour.
• To create the topping: This mixuture goes into the baking dish first. Mix brown sugar and butter in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and warm over medium-low heat; stir constantly until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted. Remove from heat and pour mixture into the bottom of the prepared 9x9-inch baking dish or cake pan. Arrange apple slices over the toffee mixture, in whatever pattern is pleasing to the eye. Set aside.
• To make the cake: In a large mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar at low to medium speed until mixture is smooth and blended. Gradually blend in eggs and beat until pale and fluffy.
• In another medium-sized bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture, stirring gently by hand until batter is combined. Stir in grated apples and toasted walnuts until incorporated.
• Pour batter over toffee apple topping already in the baking dish or cake pan. If necessary, carefully move batter around until evenly distributed over topping. Place baking dish into a preheated 350 degree F oven and bake for 30-40 minutes depending on the accuracy of your oven. Cake is done when it no longer jiggles, is firm, and top (which will become the bottom) turns golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center and near edges of cake should also come out clean.
• When cake is done, remove from oven and allow to cool in baking dish for approximately 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of baking dish to loosen sides of cake. Place serving plate over the top of baking dish; holding the serving plate and baking dish firmly together, carefully invert until serving plate is on bottom and baking dish is resting on top. Gently lift baking dish from serving plate, jiggling if necessary, to loosen cake and leave it intact on the serving plate. At this point, the cake will be "upside down" with toffee apple topping showing.
• For best results, serve cake warm or at room temperature, with a side of French vanilla ice cream or whipped topping, if desired. Cake is best served fresh in one sitting, but will keep covered at room temperature for up to 24 hours. Gently warm before re-serving.

APPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray an 8-by-1 1/2-inch round cake pan with vegetable spray and set aside. In a large nonstick skillet, melt 1 teaspoon butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples, cut side down, and sprinkle them with 3 tablespoons sugar; cook until the apples are tender and caramelized, 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove from heat.
• Arrange the apples, cut side down, in the prepared cake pan so that they fit snugly together. Fill in any cracks with small pieces of apple, so that the batter wont leak through. Set pan aside.
• Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter; set aside. Break egg into a food processor; process for about 5 seconds, then while processor is running, add melted butter and buttermilk through the feed tube.
• In a small bowl, whisk together flour, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, spices, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to mixture in food processor. Cover and pulse until batter is combined, about 20 pulses.
• Pour the batter over sliced apples. Using a spatula, spread batter to completely cover the apples. Bake until cake is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 15 minutes before inverting cake onto a serving plate.

UPSIDE-DOWN APPLE CAKE IN CAST IRON SKILLET - MY RECIPE -

Steps:

• Place your oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Prepare the topping, melting the 1/3 cup butter in a 10" cast iron skillet ((2" deep), over low heat.
• Remove skillet from heat and stir in the brown sugar and ground cinnamon (or apple pie spices) using a fork.
• Spread this mixture evenly over the bottom of the skillet and arrange the apple slices over the butter/sugar mixture in the skillet.
• In a mixer, blend cake mix, 1 stick melted butter, sour cream, dark corn syrup, eggs and ground cinnamon.
• Beat on low speed for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and beat 2 minutes longer until creamy.
• Pour the batter over the top of the apples in the skillet and then place the skillet in the oven and bake at 350ºF. for 40-45 minutes and bake until the cake rises high in the skillet, (it will spring back when lightly pressed with your finger when it's done).
• Remove skillet and cool cake in the pan for 5-10 minutes and then run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the sides of the pan and carefully flip upside down onto a serving plate.
• Cool completely for about 15 minutes and serve warm with vanilla ice cream if you like.
• I have made this cake with Duncan Hines Caramel flavor cake mix and the taste is excellent, too.
• NOTE: this cake can also be made in these baking pans. Just prepare the butter, brown sugar and spices in a skillet over the stove and then pour this mixture in the baking pan sprayed with cooking oil, add the apple slices, pour the batter and bake it.
• Here is a guide to bake the cake in those pan sizes:
• Pan Size: 13x9 inches - Oven Temp: 350ºF. - Baking time: 30-35 minutes.
• Pan Size: 9x9 inches - Oven Temp: 350ºF. - Baking time: 35-40 minutes.
• Pan Size: 8x8 inches - Oven Temp: 325ºF. - Baking time: 50-55 minutes.

APPLE WALNUT UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE WITH CALVADOS CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Make topping:
• Peel, core, and quarter apples.
• In a well-seasoned 10 1/4 by 2-inch cast-iron skillet or a 10- by 2-inch non-stick skillet melt butter over moderately low heat just until melted (butter should not separate). Stir in sugar until combined well. Arrange apple quarters decoratively, cut sides up, in skillet and sprinkle walnuts evenly in between apples. Cook mixture, undisturbed, 25 to 35 minutes, or until apples are tender in centers and sugar is a golden caramel.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Make cake batter while topping is cooking:
• Peel apple and chop fine.
• In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
• In another bowl with an electric mixer beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and ginger and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in sour cream and with mixer on low speed beat in flour mixture gradually until just combined. Fold chopped apple into batter.
• Remove skillet from heat and spoon batter evenly over topping. With a metal spatula spread batter (being careful not to disturb topping), leaving a 1/4-inch border of cooked apples uncovered. If using a non-stick skillet with a plastic handle, wrap handle in a double thickness of foil. Put skillet in a shallow baking pan and bake cake in middle of oven 25 to 35 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering and cake is golden brown. Cool cake in skillet on a rack 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around edge of skillet and carefully invert cake onto a plate.
• Serve cake warm or at room temperature with caramel sauce and whipped cream.
• To make Calvados caramel sauce:
• In a dry heavy saucepan (about 2 quarts) cook sugar over moderate heat, stirring with a fork, until melted and cook without stirring, swirling pan, until a golden caramel. Remove pan from heat and carefully add water and brandy down side of pan (caramel will bubble and steam). Return pan to heat and simmer, stirring, until caramel is dissolved. Stir in butter. Sauce may be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered. Reheat sauce to warm before serving.
• Makes about 1 1/4 cups.