Inspired by a recipe from one of my favorite flavor mavens, Alison Roman, I’m making the most of my Honeycrisp apple stash with this High Altitude Sticky Toffee Apple Upside Down Cake. It’s so addictively delicious that I’ve made it no less than four times in two weeks. Soft, fluffy, and not too sweet, the cake is spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg and rich with toasty brown butter. We bake it upon a little throne of silky, tender apples drenched in a buttery brown sugar syrup and then flip it over so all the gooey, toffee-like goodness drips down the sides. Oh, yes.
Late-season apples are peaking right now, and I don’t know about you, but I’m especially comforted this year by the sight of overflowing piles of them in the grocery store. Such abundance – it just makes me feel like it’s all gonna be okay, you know? It’s the little things.
The Cake
This cake is EASY to make. You don’t even have to peel the apples – just slice them. With that done, the topping and batter come together in mere minutes. The flavor of this cake is divine, with warm fall spices beautifully underscored by the nutty richness of brown butter.
Brown butter, if you’re not familiar, is made by melting butter and cooking it over medium heat until the solids become dark and nutty-scented. It only takes minutes, and please know that I’m dead serious when I tell you to oversee the process very carefully. The line between “brown” and “burned” is a very fine one.
The Topping
The topping – which goes on the bottom of the pan, to be flipped and revealed later – is nothing more than melted butter, brown sugar, and apples. Can I get a yum? For the apples, I recommend choosing a firm, slightly tart variety like Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji. Avoid soft varieties like red delicious or golden delicious, which can be a bit mushy for baking.
This is an impressively pretty cake, by the way, if you arrange the apple slices in a decorative pattern. However, you can also pile them in a jumble and it’ll be equally as delicious. Just more … rustic.
Once you’ve arranged the apples, just tip in the batter, smooth it out, and pop it in the oven.
One of the high-altitude miracles of this recipe is that it never sinks in the middle. If you’ve ever tried to make a layer cake at high altitude, chances are you’ve experienced that disappointment. Not this time! I’ve made this cake over and over, and it always comes out with an even, slightly domed top. Magic.
Flip It!
Let’s talk flipping for a moment. It’s a must-do with an upside-down cake! Don’t be intimidated. The key is to find a plate or platter that is slightly larger than your pan. Simply place it on top of your pan, grip plate and pan together with hot pads, and c a r e f u l l y flip it over. It’s not hard, I promise, and the pan will slide right off (especially if you use the greatest cake pan of all time). And it’s a pretty fun “oooh” moment when you slip the pan off.
So delicious! This recipe would be equally fabulous, by the way, with pears, peaches, or plums (although if you are craving a plum dessert, may I suggest my Plum Galette or Plum Torte?).
It’s the perfect fall cake, honestly, and I’m thinking you probably wouldn’t mind a little smidge of whiskey-spiked, softly whipped cream with it. Just a suggestion.
In the mood for more fruit-y desserts? Try one of these!
- Honeycrisp Apple Pie
- Plum and Fig Galette with Crispy Prosciutto
- Palisade Peach Crisp with Brown Butter and Pecans
- High-Altitude Autumn Plum Torte
High Altitude Sticky Toffee Apple Upside Down Cake
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
Description
This easy High Altitude Sticky Toffee Apple Upside Down cake features a delightful fluffy, spicy yellow cake with a gooey brown sugar-apple topping.
Ingredients
TOPPING
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 4 TB salted butter
- 2 medium apples (a firm variety such as Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji), cored and sliced 1/4″ thick (no need to peel)
CAKE
- 1/2 cup (8 TB, 1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cup + 2 TB all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3/4 cup buttermilk*
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (not imitation)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter a round cake pan or deep-dish pie plate.
- Make the brown sugar topping: in a medium skillet, melt the 4 TB butter; add the brown sugar. Stir until combined (the sugar does not need to dissolve completely; you just want the two well-combined). Pour this syrupy mixture into the bottom of the buttered pan and arrange the apple slices evenly over it (this can be done in a decorative pattern or just a jumble – just make sure you cover the bottom of the pan evenly).
- Brown the butter for the cake batter. Wipe out the same skillet you used for the topping and melt the stick of butter over medium heat, watching it carefully as it foams and then begins to turn a fragrant, nutty brown. Keep a very close eye on this process, as it takes mere seconds to go from browned to burned! As soon as you see brown solids begin to form on the bottom of the pan, remove it from the heat to let the residual heat finish the browning. Set aside to cool slightly (if the butter is very brown, pour it into a separate bowl to stop the cooking).
- In a medium-large bowl, whisk the flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices until combined.
- In a separate bowl, add the buttermilk and beat in the eggs until combined. The mixture may look a little curdled, but don’t be alarmed – it will come together in the next step. Stir in the melted brown butter along with the vanilla and beat until well-incorporated.
- Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined – overbeating can lead to a tougher texture. Pour the batter into the pan on top of the apples and smooth to even the surface.
- Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden and the edges are beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan. Be careful not to overbake to avoid dryness.
- Remove cake from the oven, let it sit for about a minute, and then place a large plate or platter on top of the pan and, using hot pads or oven mitts to protect your hands, carefully flip the pan over. Slip the pan off the cake and admire your handiwork.
- The cake is delicious served warm, and is also fabulous at room temperature, with a dollop of whipped cream.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container or wrap securely in plastic wrap to avoid drying out.
Notes
… if you don’t have any buttermilk on hand, you can add a tablespoon of lemon juice to 3/4 cup of regular milk. Powdered buttermilk is also a great shelf-stable option.
This recipe sounds delicious. Do you think I can make it with gluten free flour?
Thanks
Honestly, I haven’t tested it with GF flour so I cannot advise on this one, sorry!
What if I dont have any buttermilk, and dont want to head out to the store?
You can use regular milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice in it. Also consider stocking up on powdered buttermilk – it’s a lifesaver!
Who knew?! That’s so helpful. Thank you!
I made this today! We’re eating it now!
nom nom nom nom… 😋😎❄️
Love it!
All I know is I Want a piece of this RIGHT NOW!!!!
Thank you for the recipe! It has already become a favorite. I modified it by using powdered buttermilk and unsweetened honey crisp apple juice for a bit more flavor. I’m cooking at about 9600 ft near Telluride and have been so happy to have your website and recipes.
Sounds great, and glad you are loving the recipes!
Greetings, could this be made in a straight sided bind cake pan? Thanks
Hi, I’m not sure what you mean by “bind” (typo?) but it will also work in a square cake pan.
My apologies. Yes. Typo. As soon as I posted I saw it. Ugh. Don’t you hate spell checker sometimes ? Bundt cake. I figured the flip wouldn’t work as well – so made it tonight in a square it was great!! Fabulous with dulce de leche ice cream.
Made this over in Leadville today. So great! Thanks for baking at a really truly high elevation!