I had 3 apples on my counter yesterday that were headed for the compost bin if I didn't get a move on putting them to use. I went digging around my cookbooks for apple dessert recipes and merged a few of them together. The results were AWESOME. My family tried this rich, moist and soul-comforting apple recipe at different temperatures, frozen, warm, and room temperature. There was barely enough leftover this morning to snap off a photo of the evidence. We didn't have a "Best Served at ... Temperature". It was all good. My stomach wishes I had doubled the recipe. My hips are glad the recipe only filled one cake pan.
Definitely make this recipe when you're having friends over for coffee and tea. Make it for your next Bible study and they'll call you blessed. ;D Click on the red "PDF" icon above this recipe and you can print off a pretty copy of the recipe to share with your friends. They'll want the recipe. Trust me.
HERE'S ALL IT TAKES
Serves 8
Apple Topping
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 pounds apples, peeled and cored
- 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Cake
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 large fresh eggs, beaten well
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Heat oven to 350ºF degrees. Butter a 9-inch by 2-inch deep cake pan.
Cut apples into 1/4-inch thick slices. Heat butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. When foaming subsides, add apple slices. Cook for 5 minutes, until apples begin to caramelize, stir a couple of times. You're not trying to cook the apples to tenderness, just browning them. Add in the 2/3 cup brown sugar and lemon juice. Continue cooking and stirring until sugar dissolves and apples are well coated, about 1 minute. Move apple mixture to the buttered pan and press into an even layer. Set aside for the moment.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and brown sugar together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the beaten eggs, the cold yogurt, the melted butter and vanilla extract. Whisk together into a smooth batter. Pour batter over apples in pan and spread the batter evenly. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 
Cool pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, set a timer. Loosen around the sides of the pan with a tool that won't scratch your pan, like a spatula. Place the serving plate upside down on top of the cake pan. Holding on tightly, quickly and carefully invert the pan onto the plate. Expect some finger licking brown sugary drips to fall to the sides, but not so many that it's a mess.
From here, you can cool the cake quickly in the freezer for 30 to 45 minutes or so, for a quick cold cake. Or, you can let it sit out on the counter and continuing cooling for about 20 minutes and fancy it slightly warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on the side. I'll let you pick.
CLICK HERE for the recipe for Fresh Whipped Cream Topping!
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FOOD PHOTOS FROM SDR COOKS
After you try this recipe, take a photo of it and email it to me. I'll turn around and post it here.
I just ate my last slice a couple of minutes ago.
This cake gets really moist as it sets out. We were eating off the cake plate. I kept scraping my fork across the plate trying to get every last morsel. It took every ounce of strength I had to say, “Honey, this last piece is all yours.” If I hadn’t eaten so much dinner, that last piece would have been a little smaller.
OK, Jill, my husband just took one look at the picture of your apple upside down cake and I quote:
“Oh, I’d love to strap that on for size, look at that!”
Looks like I have the nod for PLEASE bake one for me….thanks Jill. LOL
LOL! Get ready to moan every time you take a bite. I asked my husband if I should cut back the sugar or add cinnamon. He looked me straight in the eyes with the most serious expression on his face and said, “Don’t change a thing. Don’t change the recipe, please. It’s perfect the way it is.”
My husband loves apple desserts. I’m going to try this over the weekend!
Please come back and let me know how much you liked this easy dessert, Holli.
I think I’ll try baking this in a cast iron frying pan.
I had the same idea, Toni! I didn’t do it because my pan wasn’t 2-inches deep. The cake batter puffs up during cooking, then settles into a moist, dense delight as it cools.
Really liked how this turned out. I used a 10 inch cast iron pan and added a bit of cinnamon, and it tastes better the next day. Will make again, but will be a little more creative with the placement of the apples. Yummy!thanks.
This receipe sounds fantastic. I love apple cakes. I can’t wait to try it. I was just wondering if a spring form pan would be easier to use as opposed to a regular cake pan?