Salted Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cake

A sweet and salty autumn treat, this salted caramel apple upside-down cake is a quintessential flavor of autumn in every single bite.

This salted caramel apple upside-down cake delivers pure autumn vibes in every slice.

I swear, I think this apple upside-down cake is the dessert version of cozying up on the couch with a wool blanket in just the right shade of burnt orange (or maybe plaid; I’ll allow it) while watching the leaves fall and sipping a mug of warm apple cider. Maybe a slight exaggeration, but that’s how I feel when I’m eating it! Each bite just feels like a crisp autumn afternoon after spending the morning picking apples in the apple orchard. Featuring an irresistible salted caramel layer with crushed pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon apples, and a moist spiced cake, this will be a fall treat you’ll want to go back to again and again.

Best of all, this cake is one you can whip up without too much trouble. Don’t let the caramel intimidate you; it’s as easy as can be.

How to make this salted caramel apple upside-down cake recipe

What you need

• Salted cinnamon caramel layer: You’ll use butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, flaky sea salt, heavy cream, and pecans. If you don’t have flaky sea salt, you can use iodized or kosher salt; just use a bit less than the recipe recommends and add more only if desired. You can also use walnuts instead of pecans, if preferred.
• Apples: I use Honeycrisp apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. You can also use Fuji, Granny Smith, or Pink Lady apples. Aim for apples that have a crisp texture and a sweet-tart or tart flavor profile. Very sweet apples, such as Gala or Red Delicious, may not hold their shape as well and add a bit too much sweetness to the apple layer.
• Cake: The spiced cake is made with cake flour, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, cloves, salt, butter, brown sugar, egg, milk, and a bit of vanilla extract. I could honestly just eat this cake all by itself…it’s so moist and flavorful!
• For serving: I serve the cake à la mode and sprinkled with cinnamon, but with a dollop of whipped cream is also an excellent choice!

With the caramel and nuts, you’ll definitely want to line your cake pan with parchment paper. You can either use parchment rounds, but I actually love using air fryer liners! It prevents anything from sticking to the bottom or the sides.

How to make it

• Step 1: Make the caramel. Melt butter in a saucepan and add brown sugar and cinnamon. Simmer briefly until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and add heavy cream and flaky sea salt. Whisk until smooth. Add the lightly crushed nuts and stir to combine. Pour the caramel into a parchment-lined cake pan. Refrigerate until needed.
• Step 2: Make the apples. Gather diced apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a bowl and stir to coat. Set aside.
• Step 3: Make the cake batter. Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Cream butter and brown sugar until combined, and then add an egg. Beat until smooth. Begin adding the dry ingredients and milk in alternate additions, beating between each addition until smooth and finishing with the vanilla extract. Don’t over-mix!
• Step 4: Assemble the upside-down cake. Pour the spiced apples over the caramel and press them gently into the caramel. Pour the cake batter on top and smooth it into an even layer.
• Step 5: Transfer the upside-down cake into the oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Step 6: Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes. The cake should still be warm to the touch. Place a plate over the cake pan and flip it to invert it onto the plate. Carefully peel away the parchment paper and discard it.
• Step 7: Serve it up! Slice the cake into pieces and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Finish with a sprinkle of cinnamon if you like.

Salted Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cake

A sweet and salty autumn treat, this salted caramel apple upside-down cake is a quintessential flavor of autumn in every single bite.

4.75 from 8 votes

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Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Inactive time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 356kcal

Equipment

• 9-Inch Round Cake Pan
• Parchment paper rounds
• Saucepan
• Mixing Bowls
• Whisk
• Electric hand mixer
• Fine mesh sieve

Ingredients

Salted cinnamon caramel layer:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt
• ½ cup pecans (lightly crushed)

Apples:

• ¾ pound Honeycrisp apples (about 2 large apples; peeled, cored, and diced)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Batter:

• ¾ cup cake flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For serving:

• Vanilla ice cream (or whipped cream, optional)

Instructions

Make the salted cinnamon caramel:

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a small pot over medium heat. Once melted, add ½ cup light brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture darkens slightly in color.
• Remove from the heat and add the heavy cream and flaky sea salt. Whisk until smooth. Add the crushed pecans to the caramel and stir until combined.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and smooth it into an even layer. Transfer to the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Prepare the apples:

• Place the diced apples in a bowl with 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Toss gently to combine. Set aside.

Make the batter:

• Sift ¾ cup cake flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon cloves, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt into a small bowl. Set aside.
• Add 4 tablespoons butter and ½ cup light brown sugar to a large bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add 1 egg and beat until smooth.
• Add half the sifted dry ingredients and beat with the mixer until just combined. Add half the milk and beat until incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and the remaining milk, along with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat until just combined. Don’t over-mix!

Assemble the cake:

• Remove the cake pan from the refrigerator. Pour the diced apples over the caramel and gently press them into the caramel. Pour the batter over the apples and smooth it into an even layer.

Bake the upside-down cake:

• Transfer the cake to the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Let the cake stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. The cake should still be warm to the touch.

To serve:

• Place a large plate over the cake pan and carefully flip the cake onto the plate. Once the cake has been transferred to the plate, carefully peel away and discard the parchment paper. Cut and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top. Add a sprinkle of cinnamon on top, if desired. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 18g | Sodium: 239mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin C: 3mg

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