Bready or Not: Molasses Toffee Apple Upside Down Cake
This beautiful apple cake takes some extra labor to arrange, but wow is the presentation pretty--and the cake is delicious, too! The dense crumb tastes like gingerbread and is a perfect complement to the slices apples. Modified from Bake from Scratch September/October 2019.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Keyword: apple, cake, gingerbread
Author: Beth Cato
Equipment
9x9 square pan
offset spatula
Ingredients
1 2/3cupslight brown sugar packed, divided
1/4cupunsalted butterhalf stick, melted
1/2cupplus 2 Tablespoons molassesdivided
3large baking apples about 450 grams after being peeled, cored, and thinly sliced; Granny Smith, Gala, and Pink Lady work well
1/2cupplus 1 Tablespoon unsalted buttersoftened
2large eggs room temperature
1large egg yolk
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
2 2/3cupsall-purpose flour
2 1/2teaspoonsbaking powder
1 1/2teaspoonsground cinnamon
3/4teaspoonkosher salt
3/4teaspoonground ginger
1/2teaspoonground nutmeg
1/8teaspoonground cloves
3/4cupwhole milk
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Cut a square of parchment paper to fit in the bottom of a 9x9 square pan. Grease pan with butter or nonstick spray. Place parchment, and grease paper as well. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together 2/3 cup brown sugar, melted butter, and 2 tablespoons molasses. Pour into prepared pan. Arrange apple slices in groups of 5 in alternating patterns on top of sugar mixture.
In a big mixing bowl, beat softened butter and remaining 1 cup brown sugar until fluffy. This will be about 3 to 4 minutes in a stand mixer. Scrape sides of bowl as needed.
Beat in remaining 1/2 cup molasses until no streaks remain. One at a time, add the eggs and egg yolk followed by the vanilla.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.
Gradually mix the dry ingredients into butter mixture alternately with the milk. Beat until just smooth. Pour batter over apples, smoothing with an offset spatula.
Bake until the middle passes the toothpick test, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pan to release sides of cake, if needed. Carefully invert onto a flat serving plate or small cutting board.
The cake is fantastic eaten fresh, cold, or just warmed. It can also be cut into squares and frozen for later enjoyment.