This easy caramel apple upside down cake is made in a cast iron skillet, which ensures that it flips out of the pan flawlessly every time! It's beautiful, a little bit gooey, definitely caramel-y and VERY simple. You don't even need a mixer!
Given the choice, I'll pick an apple dessert every time, and this caramel apple upside down cake is no exception. But why is my version the best? Because of the method I'm using for the caramel apple topping. No fussing with melted sugar!
We're not even peeling the apples, because they are so pretty on top of the cake—and also because it's just so much easier and faster that way. We want cake and we want it with very little effort, so let's go!
Upside down cakes are where it's at! Try my Plum Upside Down Cake or this Gluten Free Apple Cake, which is a gluten free upside down cake made with ricotta and cornmeal.
Got more apples? This is the Best Apple Crisp Recipe you're ever going to find!
Jump to:
- Ingredients you'll need
- How to make caramel apple upside down cake
- Tips for flawless caramel apple upside down cake
- FAQ
- Storage instructions
- Why let an upside down cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes after baking?
- Recommended tools and equipment
- This caramel apple upside down cake is moist, full of warm spices, and so easy to make!
- More baking recipes with fruit
- Recipe
Ingredients you'll need
For the caramel apple topping:
- Apples: Since we are not peeling the apples, pick a red or pink one, as their color looks prettier on the finished cake than green apples. I used Pink Lady apples here.
- Softened butter, dark brown sugar, kosher salt: We'll mix them together and spread in the bottom of the skillet. You can use light brown sugar if that is what you have on hand. I like the extra molasses flavor of dark brown sugar.
For the upside down cake batter
- AP flour
- Cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg: The perfect warm spice blend for an apple cake.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Sugar
- Dark brown sugar
- Melted butter: Yay for melted butter for easy mixing!
- Yogurt: Yogurt adds moisture and a bit of acid to give the cake great flavor and texture.
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Kosher salt
How to make caramel apple upside down cake
Recipe adapted from multiple sources including NYT Cooking and Erin Jeanne McDowell.
Step 1: Make the brown sugar caramel topping
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter the sides of a 10-inch cast iron skillet.
Easiest upside down cake method: Instead of melting sugar and risking it re-hardening before you even get the cake in the oven, we're going to combine brown sugar with softened butter and spread it in the bottom of the pan. The sugar will melt and form the caramel apple topping as the cake bakes, meaning less steps for you and flawless caramelization.
Mix together the softened butter, ½ cup of brown sugar, and a pinch of salt. Spread the mixture evenly on the bottom of the skillet.
Step 2: Prepare the wet and dry ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and ¾ teaspoon kosher salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, vanilla, brown sugar and granulated sugar.
Whisk the eggs into the sugar mixture one at a time.
Add the yogurt to the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth.
Step 3: Slice the apples and arrange them in the skillet
Use a good chef's knife and slice the apples into ¼-inch wedges.
Place the apples in the skillet in an overlapping circular pattern with the peel side touching the butter/brown sugar mixture. (So it looks pretty when you flip it!)
Step 4: Finish the cake batter
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches. Use a silicone spatula to fold them together, smoothing out any lumps of flour as you go.
Transfer the batter to the skillet, smoothing it out evenly with an offset spatula.
Step 5: Bake, flip, cool the caramel apple upside down cake
Bake on the center rack for 40-45 minutes, until it is a deep golden brown, it springs back to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, run a knife or offset spatula around the outside edge. Let the cake cool in the skillet for 10 minutes, then carefully flip out onto a plate and let it cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
PREP TIP: Do not let the cake rest for more than 10 minutes in the skillet once removed from the oven. The cast iron pan will remain very hot for a long time, and it will continue baking the cake.
Tips for flawless caramel apple upside down cake
- You MUST use a 10-inch cast iron skillet for this recipe.
- Cram as many apple slices into the cake topping as you can. As they release their juices while cooking, you'll get more gooey caramel topping!
- Yes, wait to slice the apples until just before assembling the cake. It will keep them from turning brown, and you don't want to place the apples on the sugar too soon—they'll start releasing their juices before there is any cake batter there to sop them up.
- Make sure to gently spread the batter evenly in the pan on top of the apples. You don't want any air pockets to form between the two.
- The cake will be very deeply golden when finished. This is due to a combination of the long baking time and the spices making the batter look darker.
- Upside down cakes have a dense texture. It's just the nature of the batter, it has to stand up to the caramelization going on in the pan and then be sturdy enough to support the weight of the fruit without it sinking down into the cake. It's a wonderful moist cake with a delicious crumb, it's just not going to puff up as much as other cakes that you might be used to making.
FAQ
A cast iron skillet's even heat ensures that the cake cooks perfectly throughout, and the heavy duty bottom melts the sugar and butter to form the caramel as the cake bakes. The nonstick surface means that the apples and caramel won't stick, and allows the upside down cake to flip out perfectly with no globs of fruit left behind. You must use a 10-inch skillet for this cake.
We are not peeling the apples for this caramel apple upside down cake and green-skinned apples like Granny Smith just don't look pretty after the cake is flipped. Use a pink or red apple such as Pink Lady, Fuji, Gala or McIntosh.
Storage instructions
Caramel apple upside down cake is best eaten on the day it's made, but you can cover it tightly and keep it on the countertop for up to 2 days. If you want to store it longer, wrap it up or put it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
This cake freezes well! I cut it into slices and wrap them individually so I can have a small treat whenever the mood strikes. Just unwrap and zap it in the microwave for 30-60 seconds until it's warmed through.
Why let an upside down cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes after baking?
We're going to remove that caramel apple upside down cake from the oven, but don't flip it yet! Wait 10 minutes, but no more! Here's why:
Right when the cake comes out of the oven, the caramel is very liquid, and the apple juices are running all over the place. Letting it cool for 10 minutes in the skillet will allow the caramel to cool just long enough to be set up, but it will still be warm enough to easily release from the pan.
Recommended tools and equipment
We're going to make this caramel apple upside down cake the old fashioned way: by just stirring up the batter in a couple of bowls. NO mixer of any kind needed! So easy!
The only special equipment you need is a 10-inch cast iron skillet. This is REQUIRED. The recipe proportions are written for a 10-inch skillet (also sold as 10.25-inch). Any bigger or smaller would prevent your caramel apple upside down cake from cooking properly.
This caramel apple upside down cake is moist, full of warm spices, and so easy to make!
- Yogurt and melted butter keep this cake moist and delicious.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom complement the apples and give the cake bold flavor.
- You don't need a mixer of any kind, just two bowls for wet and dry ingredients!
- Quick and easy prep: All the components are ready in 15 minutes!
More baking recipes with fruit
- This Apple Galette recipe is easier than pie!
- This Mixed Berry Cake has loads of fruit on top, but we bake this one right side up!
- Nothing says summer like a Peach Crumble and it's about as simple as you can get!
- A Strawberry Galette is even easier than pie!
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Recipe
Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake
Equipment
- offset spatula optional
Ingredients
Caramel Apple Topping
- 2-3 red apples pink lady, fuji, or other
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- pinch kosher salt
Upside Down Cake Batter
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup melted unsalted butter
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup greek yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter the sides of a 10-inch cast iron skillet.
- Mix together the softened butter, ½ cup of brown sugar, and a pinch of kosher salt. Spread the mixture evenly on the bottom of the skillet.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and ¾ teaspoon kosher salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, vanilla, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Then whisk the eggs into the sugar mixture one at a time.
- Add the yogurt to the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Place the apples in the skillet in an overlapping circular pattern with the peel side touching the butter/brown sugar mixture. (So it looks pretty when you flip it!)
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches. Use a silicone spatula to fold them together, smoothing out any lumps of flour as you go. Transfer the batter to the skillet, smoothing it out evenly with an offset spatula or silicone spatula. (See note below.)
- Bake on the center rack for 40-45 minutes, until it is a deep golden brown, it springs back to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, run a knife or offset spatula around the outside edge. Let it cool in the skillet for 10 minutes. Then carefully flip it out onto a plate and let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Cram as many apple slices into the topping as you can. As they release their juices while cooking, you'll get more gooey caramel topping!
- Make sure to gently spread the batter evenly in the pan on top of the apples. You don't want any air pockets to form between the two.
- The cake will be very deeply golden when finished. This is due to a combination of the long baking time and the spices in the batter.
- Upside down cakes have a dense texture. It's just the nature of the batter, it has to stand up to the caramelization going on in the pan and then be sturdy enough to support the weight of the fruit without it sinking down into the cake. It's still a wonderful moist cake with a delicious crumb, it's just not going to puff up as much as other cakes that you might be used to making.
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