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If you need a beautiful and delicious cake to serve for your friends and family then you have to make this Maple Apple Upside Down Cake. It super quick to make as the caramel is only maple syrup and butter and the cake is super quick to whip together, as you only need a hand whisk. So no machines needed to make this delicious cake! This apple cake is a cozy fall treat, as it has brown butter for that extra nutty flavor and cinnamon and maple that complements the apples so well.
This brown butter Maple Apple Upside Down Cake is perfect fall cake. It is simple to make and is both elegant and delicious. Brown butter, maple and apples goes perfectly together and you can serve it with a dollop of whipped cream on the side.
For more apple cake recipes, try Apple Crumble Cheesecake, Caramel Apple Cake and Apple Crumb Cake.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Easy to make: This cake doesn't require any machines, it can all be mixed together by hand, using a hand whisk.
- Maple caramel: This caramel is super quick and easy to make as it's only made using maple syrup and butter.
- Brown butter: The soft and fluffy cake has brown butter giving it lots of flavor that complement to cinnamon and apples.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour: Gives a light and airy cake. I prefer using all-purpose flour with a protein amount that is between 10-11%
- Sugar: The granualted sugar helps sweeten, as well as give moister to the cake.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Help leaven and rise the cake, so it has light and fluffy texture.
- Salt: Helps enhance the flavor of the chocolate cake.
- Egg: Take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking, so it comes to room temperature. (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- Oil: Use a flavor neutral oil, such as canola oil.
- Sour cream: Sour cream gives lots of moister to the cake, as well as helps give the cake a great structure.
- Butter: The butter is browned for a delicious nutty flavor.
- Apples: I recommend firm apples. Apples such as Gala, Fuji or Red Granny Smith apples are perfect for this cake.
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon is used in the cake.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Here is how to make and bake these Maple Apple Upside Down Cake. This recipe doesn't need an electric mixer. Just a large bowl, a whisk and a spatula.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
Preheat the oven at 170ºC/340ºF conventional oven and grease a 20 cm baking pan with butter and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
STEP 1: Start by browning the butter, over medium heat in a frying pan. Once browned, pour it into a medium sized mixing bowl and let it cool down, while preparing the other ingredients.
STEP 2: Cut the apples into thin 2 mm/ ⅛ inch slices. Lay them in a pattern in the cake pan. Then in a small saucepan, melt together the maple syrup and butter, until combined. Then let it boil for 2 minutes on medium/high heat. Pour the caramel over the apples and set it aside while making the cake.
STEP 3: In the bowl with the brown butter, add the granulated sugar and stir it together with a hand whisk until combined. Add the egg into the mixture and mix it in until combined. Continue by adding half the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
STEP 4: Then add the sour cream, vegetable oil and vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Finally add the other half of the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
STEP 5: Pour the cake batter on top of the apples and even it out. Bake for 24-26 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool cake for 20 minutes on the kitchen counter. Then drag a knife a long the edge of that baking pan. Place a serving plate on top of the baking pan and flip the cake onto a serving plate. Serve it with a dollop of whipped cream.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
Yes, it can be switched out 1:1 with plain Greek yogurt.
Yes, absolutely. I recommend serving it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
I recommend using a cake tester or toothpick. Once the time has passed, per the recipe, insert the cake tester in the middle of the cake and once it comes out clean, with no cake batter on it, then it's done.
HOW TO STORE
Store the cake in an airtight container or covered with cling film at room temperature for up to a day but if stored for longer it should go in the refrigerator. It's best enjoyed within a 2-3 days.
Other Fall Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Maple Apple Upside Down Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
MAPLE CARAMEL
- 55 g butter
- 115 g maple syrup
BROWN BUTTER CINNAMON CAKE
- 75 g butter
- 1-2 red apples
- 110 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 large eggs room temperature
- 75 g sour cream room temperature
- 20 g vegetable oil e.g. canola oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Maple Apple Upside Down Cake
- Preheat the oven at 170ºC/340ºF conventional oven and grease a 20 cm baking pan with butter and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper .
- Start by browning the butter, over medium heat in a frying pan. Once browned, pour it into a medium sized mixing bowl and let it cool down, while preparing the other ingredients.75 g butter
- Cut the apples into thin 2 mm/ ⅛ inch slices. Lay the apple slices in a pattern in the baking pan.1-2 red apples
- Then in a small saucepan, melt together the maple syrup and butter, until combined. Then let it boil for 2 minutes on medium/high heat.55 g butter, 115 g maple syrup
- Pour the caramel over the apples and set it aside while making the cake.
- Sift together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set it aside.110 g all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In the bowl with the brown butter, add the granulated sugar and mix it together with a hand whisk until combined.100 g granulated sugar
- Add the egg and mix it in until combined.1 large eggs
- Continue by adding half the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Then add the sour cream, vegetable oil and vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Then add the other half of the dry ingredients and mix until combined.75 g sour cream, 20 g vegetable oil, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Using a rubber spatula, give the batter a gentle fold to make sure all of the ingredients have combined.
- Pour the cake batter on top of the apples and even it out. Bake for 24-26 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool on a cooling rack for 20 minutes on the kitchen counter. Then drag a knife a long the edge of that baking pan. Place a serving plate on top of the baking pan and flip the cake onto a serving plate.
- It can be enjoyed warm, but it will be harder to cut. Otherwise allow the cake to cool down completely. Optionally serve it with a dollop of whipped cream.
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