Apple Upside Down Cake

Total Time: 55 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the pan
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 2 large crisp apples, such as granny smith, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2- to 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped hazelnuts or 1/2 cup almonds
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom or 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• salt
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup buttermilk

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
• 2 butter a deep (at least 2 inches) 9-inch round cake pan.
• 3 in a medium saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter.
• 4 add the brown sugar and maple syrup and stir over medium heat until the sugar bubbles.
• 5 remove the pan from the heat and stir in the apples, nuts, lemon juice, cardamom and a pinch of salt.
• 6 spread the mixture over the bottom of the prepared cake pan.
• 7 in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
• 8 set aside.
• 9 in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter just until smooth.
• 10 add the granulated sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• 11 add the eggs, 1 at a time, and beat until incorporated.
• 12 mix in the vanilla.
• 13 reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture to the batter in 3 parts alternating with the buttermilk in 3 parts.
• 14 mix until the ingredients are just combined.
• 15 turn off the mixer and finish mixing the batter by hand with a large rubber spatula until the flour is fully incorporated.
• 16 drop the batter by spoonfuls onto the apple-nut mixture and spread to fill the pan.
• 17 don't worry if the layer of batter is uneven; it will even out during baking.
• 18 slide the cake into the oven and bake until golden and the center springs back when lightly touched, about 35 minutes.
• 19 let the cake cool on a wire rack for about 5 minutes, then flip the pan over onto a serving plate.
• 20 let the cake sit upside down for a moment, then pull the pan away.
• 21 serve warm or at room temperature.