This caramel apple upside down cake has all the great flavors of a caramel apple baked on top of a buttery and moist vanilla cake.
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caramel apple upside down cake
You’ve heard of pineapple upside down cake, but have you heard of caramel apple upside down cake? It’s the same concept, just with sliced apples of course! This cake is the perfect fall cake and it’s so moist and delicious. If you’re a fan of the caramel apples that make their way into the store around this time of year, or you just went apple picking and are wondering what to make, this cake is perfect for you.
why you’ll love this caramel apple upside down cake:
- It’s super moist: the cake itself is super moist and delicious, even without the caramel apples.
- Caramel apples: I mean caramel apples are a fall staple, and it makes the top of the cake super soft and gooey.
expert baking tips
Weigh your ingredients:
My recipes are all written in grams because it is the most accurate way to bake. When you use a kitchen scale, you ensure that your baked goods turn out as close to the written recipe as possible. Plus, the cleanup is way easier when using a scale! I will provide standard cup measurements but please note that I have not tested the recipe using cup measurements and therefore can not guarantee your recipe will come out how mine did. Here is my favorite kitchen scale.
Be careful when mixing the cake batter:
When you over-mix your batter, you create more gluten in the batter which will make your cake go from light and moist to dense and chewy. When you mix in the dry ingredients, be sure to only mix just until that last streak of flour disappears.
Use room temperature ingredients:
This is super important for allowing the batter to come together smoothly. You’ll want to take your ingredients out of the fridge about an hour before baking to allow them enough time to come to room temperature.
Keep a close eye on the cake while it bakes:
Cakes and cupcakes like to go from under-baked to over-baked super quickly so it is important to keep a close eye on them while they bake.
A note on oven temperature:
Ovens vary and fluctuate in temperature and might not always actually be at the temperature they claim to be at. If you love to bake like I do, I highly recommend getting an oven thermometer. They are super helpful for letting you know when your oven might be lying to you! I use this one.
ingredients for caramel apple upside down cake:
caramel apple layer:
- Unsalted butter: makes the caramel more smooth and adds that nice, buttery flavor that caramel sauces have.
- Light brown sugar: the base of the caramel.
- Salt: a tiny bit of salt helps bring the caramel together.
- Apples: use your favorite baking apple here! I used one honeycrisp and one granny smith. You can also use Pink Lady, Jonathan, Jonagold, Jazz, Braeburn, or McIntosh!
vanilla cake:
- All purpose flour: the structure of the cake. I would not recommend using cake flour as the cake is already super fluffy and tender using the all purpose.
- Baking powder: for helping the cake rise.
- Salt: for balancing and bringing out the sweetness of the cake.
- Unsalted butter: for tenderizing the cake and giving it that classic buttery taste. You can substitute in salted butter, just omit the extra salt from the recipe.
- Granulated sugar: for sweetening the cake and keeping it moist. The sugar also helps aerate the butter to give this cake it’s rise and keep it light and fluffy.
- Eggs: for moisture, structure, and binding the batter together.
- Vanilla: for flavor.
- Sour cream: for moisture and for tenderizing the cake.
- Whole milk: for moisture.
how to make caramel apple upside down cake
Here’s a breakdown on how to make this caramel apple cake. The full recipe with instructions is at the end of the blog post.
- Combine the butter, brown sugar and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Wash the apples, then thinly slice them.
- Immediately pour the caramel into your prepared pan, then arrange the apples over it in your preferred design.
- Make the cake! Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- Alternate between folding in the dry ingredients and the buttermilk.
- Carefully spread the cake batter over the caramel apples, then bake.
caramel apple upside down cake recipe q&a
Can I bake this cake in a different sized pan?
You could bake this in a 8″ cake pan, 9″ cake pan, or 9″ square pan. Note that in a 9″ pan the cake will be a tad shorter and will probably take a few minutes less to bake.
can I double this caramel apple upside down cake?
Definitely! Simply double all of the ingredients in this crumb cake then split evenly between two pans. You could also bake this in one 9×13″ pan – just note that the baking time may change. Also, be super careful when flipping the pan upside down so that the cake doesn’t split!
how to store caramel apple upside down cake
Like most baked goods, this cake will taste best served on the day it is baked. However, it can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
tools and ingredients:
You can find all my favorite tools and ingredients that I use on my Amazon Storefront page, here!
other recipes you might enjoy:
did you make this recipe?
I’d love to see and know your thoughts! please leave a comment and review below, and tag me on instagram @freshbeanbakery. #freshbeanbakery
Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
Caramel Apple Layer
- 100 g unsalted butter (7 tbsp.)
- 150 g light brown sugar (¾ c.)
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 2 medium sized apples thinly sliced
Vanilla Cake
- 190 g all purpose flour (1 ½ c.)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 125 g unsalted butter (½ c. + 1 tbsp.) room temperature
- 170 g granulated sugar (¾ c. + 2 tbsp.)
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 90 g whole milk (¼ c. + 2 tbsp.) room temperature
- 60 g sour cream (¼ c.) room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Butter and line an 8" square pan with parchment paper.
Caramel Apple Layer
- Wash, peel (optional) and thinly slice the apples.
- In a small saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter, brown sugar and salt together, stirring constantly until the mixture starts to simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes, then remove the mixture from the heat and pour into a 8" square pan.
- Arrange the sliced apples on top of the caramel.
Vanilla Cake
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer, in a large bowl) beat together the butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in both eggs and the vanilla. Beat until well combined (~1 min.)
- Add in half of the flour mixture, and mix by hand just until the flour is incorporated. Add in all of the milk and sour cream and mix until combined. Add in the rest of the flour, and lightly fold the mixture together just until all of the flour is incorporated.
- Gently pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan, smoothing out the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake sit in the pan for at least 20 minutes, then invert it onto a serving platter. Wait for the cake to mostly cool off before slicing, then enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition facts are only an estimate and may vary based on different brands of ingredients and any substitutions made.
Another banger recipe! This cake is so easy but so impressive! My family loved it, I’m making it again today because it was so delicious last time
Thank you so much Bria!! So happy to hear that you and your family love the recipe ☺︎
This was the first fresh bean bakery recipe I attempted, and wow! It turned out very well 🙂 The directions were easy to follow (even for someone who doesn’t bake very often); I appreciated the measurements being in grams, which makes the recipe foolproof. I sprinkled some cinnamon on top which made it even better! Would definitely make again, and excited to try out other recipes from Erin!
Thank you so much Jackie! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe and found it easy to follow – the sprinkle of cinnamon on top sounds like a delicious addition! 🙂