Apple Upside-Down Cake with Almonds
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 6, 2009
Time
1¼ hours, plus 40 minutes cooling
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
Topping
4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces, plus extra for pan4 Granny Smith apples (about 2 pounds), peeled and cored⅔ cup packed light brown sugar (4 ⅔ ounces/132 grams)2 teaspoons juice from 1 lemonCake
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (5 ounces/142 grams)⅓ cup finely ground almonds, toasted1 tablespoon cornmeal (optional)1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon table salt ¾ cup granulated sugar (5 ¼ ounces/149 grams)¼ cup packed light brown sugar (1 ¾ ounces/50 grams)2 large eggs 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly½ cup sour cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extractBefore You Begin
You will need a 9-inch nonstick cake pan with sides that are at least 2 inches high for this cake. Alternatively, use a 10-inch ovenproof stainless steel skillet (don’t use cast iron) to both cook the apples and bake the cake, with the following modifications: Cook the apples in the skillet and set them aside while mixing the batter (it’s OK if the skillet is still warm when the batter is added) and increase the baking time by 7 to 9 minutes. If you don’t have either a 2-inch high cake pan or an ovenproof skillet, use an 8-inch square pan.
Instructions
- Butter bottom and sides of 9-inch round, 2-inch-deep nonstick cake pan; set aside. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Halve apples from pole to pole. Cut 2 apples into 1/4-inch-thick slices; set aside. Cut remaining 2 apples into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Heat butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add 1/2-inch-thick apple slices and cook, stirring 2 or 3 times, until apples begin to caramelize, 4 to 6 minutes. (Do not fully cook apples.) Add 1/4-inch-thick apple slices, brown sugar, and lemon juice; continue cooking, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and apples are coated, about 1 minute longer. Transfer apple mixture to prepared pan and lightly press into even layer. Set aside while preparing cake.
- Whisk flour, almonds, cornmeal (if using), baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside. Whisk granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs together in large bowl until thick and homogeneous, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter until combined. Add sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract; whisk until combined. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan and spread evenly over fruit. Bake until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
- Cool pan on wire rack 20 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of cake to loosen. Place wire rack over cake pan. Holding rack tightly, invert cake pan and wire rack together; lift off cake pan. Place wire rack over baking sheet or large plate to catch any drips. If any fruit sticks to pan bottom, remove and position it on top of cake. Let cake cool 20 minutes (or longer to cool it completely), then transfer to serving platter, cut into pieces, and serve.
for the topping
for the cake
Time
1¼ hours, plus 40 minutes coolingYield
Serves 8Ingredients
Topping
Cake
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Topping
Cake
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Topping
Cake
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
Precooking some of the apples before placing them in the bottom of the cake pan gave us plentiful fruit infused with caramel flavor for our best apple upside-down cake recipe. For a coarse-crumbed cake that wouldn’t buckle under the weight of the fruit, we used the quick-bread method, in which we melt the butter and mix the liquid and dry ingredients separately before combining them. The melted butter introduces less air into the batter, creating a sturdier crumb.
Before You Begin
You will need a 9-inch nonstick cake pan with sides that are at least 2 inches high for this cake. Alternatively, use a 10-inch ovenproof stainless steel skillet (don’t use cast iron) to both cook the apples and bake the cake, with the following modifications: Cook the apples in the skillet and set them aside while mixing the batter (it’s OK if the skillet is still warm when the batter is added) and increase the baking time by 7 to 9 minutes. If you don’t have either a 2-inch high cake pan or an ovenproof skillet, use an 8-inch square pan.
Instructions
- Butter bottom and sides of 9-inch round, 2-inch-deep nonstick cake pan; set aside. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Halve apples from pole to pole. Cut 2 apples into 1/4-inch-thick slices; set aside. Cut remaining 2 apples into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Heat butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add 1/2-inch-thick apple slices and cook, stirring 2 or 3 times, until apples begin to caramelize, 4 to 6 minutes. (Do not fully cook apples.) Add 1/4-inch-thick apple slices, brown sugar, and lemon juice; continue cooking, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves and apples are coated, about 1 minute longer. Transfer apple mixture to prepared pan and lightly press into even layer. Set aside while preparing cake.
- Whisk flour, almonds, cornmeal (if using), baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside. Whisk granulated sugar, brown sugar, and eggs together in large bowl until thick and homogeneous, about 45 seconds. Slowly whisk in butter until combined. Add sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract; whisk until combined. Add flour mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan and spread evenly over fruit. Bake until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
- Cool pan on wire rack 20 minutes. Run paring knife around sides of cake to loosen. Place wire rack over cake pan. Holding rack tightly, invert cake pan and wire rack together; lift off cake pan. Place wire rack over baking sheet or large plate to catch any drips. If any fruit sticks to pan bottom, remove and position it on top of cake. Let cake cool 20 minutes (or longer to cool it completely), then transfer to serving platter, cut into pieces, and serve.
for the topping
for the cake
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