Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

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!

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Given the choice, I'll pick an apple dessert every time, and this caramel apple upside down cake is no exception. It's beautiful, a little bit gooey, definitely caramel-y and VERY simple. You don't even need a mixer!

We're not 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!

Jump to:

• This caramel apple upside down cake is moist, full of warm spices, and so easy to make!
• The secret to the caramel apple topping: brown sugar and softened butter
• Ingredients you'll need
• Recommended tools and equipment
• How to make caramel apple upside down cake
• Cast iron skillet = perfect upside down cake
• Tips for flawless caramel apple upside down cake
• Storage instructions
• Why let an upside down cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes after baking?
• More cake recipes with fruit
• Recipe

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!

The secret to the caramel apple topping: brown sugar and softened butter

Instead of melting sugar and risking it re-hardening before you even get things 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.

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. Fuji, Envy, Gala or McIntosh would all work well.
• Softened butter, dark brown sugar, kosher salt: We'll mix them together and spread in the bottom of the skillet.

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

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!

• 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.
• Chef's knife and cutting board: To slice the apples.
• Mixing bowls: For the cake batter components.
• Whisk and silicone spatula: To stir and fold the wet and dry ingredients together.

How to make caramel apple upside down cake

Recipe adapted from multiple sources including New York Times 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.

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 and cool

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.

Cast iron skillet = perfect upside down cake

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.

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.

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.

More cake recipes with fruit

• Apple Ricotta Cake is here for you if you'd like a gluten free version of upside down cake that's a twist on the classic Italian dessert.
• Plum Upside Down Cake has a lemony batter and you can use any type of plum to make it!
• This Mixed Berry Cake has loads of fruit on top, but we bake this one right side up!

Recipe