the joys of apples are upon us. my daughter, natalie, has been immersed in johnny appleseed lore. his 236th birthday just passed us, right at gates of apple season. my appetite has followed. i like them equally plucked from a fruit bowl or married in some union of butter and cinnamon. best of all, i like apples swathed in caramel--where innocence meets hedonism. tempted to call this the garden of eden cake, but settling instead for simply what it is: a caramelized apple upside-down cake, a sort of hybrid of the pineapple upside-down variety and the classic tarte tatin. it is sticky. it is luscious. it will woo you into apple-caramel-brown butter induced stupor. it will be hard to imagine an apple being treated any other way.
caramelized apple upside-down cake
(serves 6 - 8)
for the cake:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter + 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for greasing cake pan, both at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar + 1 tablespoon sugar for cake pan
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3 large eggs (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream) - at room temperature
for caramelized apples:
5 granny smith apples
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
generously grease a 10-inch cake pan with 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and then dust with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, shaking out any excess.
whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and ground ginger in a medium bowl.
in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the 6 tablespoons of butter and 3/4 cup sugar on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes. add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl with a spatula after each egg. beat just until incorporated. add the vanilla and creme fraiche and mix until just combined. use a wooden spoon to stir in the dry ingredients until incorporated--do not over stir. refrigerate the cake batter for 2 hours.
when ready to bake the cake, preheat the oven to 325. peel and core the apples and cut them into 1 1/2 inch wedges.toss the apples with the cardamom.
heat the sugar and water in a large, deep saute pan over medium heat. cook until the sugar-water mixture caramelizes to an amber color, but be careful to watch it so that it does not burn. it should take about 12-14 minutes. you can shake the pan gently and occasionally brush down the side with water, but try not to stir the mixture or the sugar will stick to the sides of the pan. immediately whisk in the cold butter once the mixture has caramelized. take caution--the caramel may briefly spit & spatter.
add the apples to the caramel and cook over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, until the apples are dark golden, but still firm. remove from the heat and pour the apples into the prepared cake pan, spreading them out evenly with a spoon or spatula. spread the cold cake batter over the apples doing your best to go all the way to the edges of the pan.
bake the cake until the top is golden brown and springy when touched, about 30-35 minutes. allow the cake to rest in the pan for 3o minutes after it has been removed from the oven. run a pairing knife around the rim of the cake. place a serving plate on top of the pan and invert the cake. there will be a flood of caramel and it will be delicious. cut into wedges and serve immediately.
notes
* this calls for ice cream
* i think timing is key here. this cake is best served 30 minutes out of the oven, still warm. it is still wonderful as time progresses, the excess caramel seeping into the cake, creating a sticky apple pudding, if you will
* this recipe was adapted from donald link's amazing cookbook, real cajun. if you are in new orleans, i recommend his restaurant, herbsaint, without reservation (but get a reservation, the place gets packed)