Apple upside down cake is an easy, one bowl fall dessert. This apple cake has a layer of buttery, brown sugar apples topping on a moist butter cake.
Apple upside down cake is the fall flavored version of classic pineapple upside down cake. This cake has all of the good parts of the classic – buttery brown sugar topping and sweet, rich butter cake – with apples in place of the pineapple.
The cake is easy to make, and you can stir it up in one bowl. It makes a perfect end to any fall meal, or enjoy it as a decadent breakfast treat.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Butter: Feel free to substitute salted butter for the unsalted butter and omit the salt.
- Dark brown sugar: You can substitute dark brown sugar for the light brown sugar if you prefer.
- Apples: Any baking apple will work in this recipe. Granny Smith will give you tarter topping, and Pink Lady will give you sweeter topping.
- Flour: Weighing the flour is the most accurate way to measure it (click on “metric” just above the ingredients for the weights). You can also sift or stir the flour, lightly spoon it into the measuring up, and level. Avoid packing the flour as this will give you a heavy, dense, or dry cake.
- Cinnamon: You could substitute apple pie spice for the cinnamon.
- Milk: Any milk from whole milk to skim milk will work. Whole milk will give you moister, richer cake than using skim milk. Plant based milk, like almond milk, also works.
How to make apple upside down cake
Here you’ll find step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including instructions, is given below.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F.
Step 2: Add ¼ cup butter to a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan. Place in the oven for a few minutes until the butter has melted.
Step 3: Sprinkle brown sugar over the melted butter in the bottom of the pan.
Step 4: Cut the apples into half circles about ¼-inch thick* (no need to peel!) and arrange them in concentric circles on top of the brown sugar, overlapping them slightly until they fill the entire bottom of the pan. Set aside.
Step 5: Add flour, sugar, baking powder, and ground cinnamon to a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Then, add milk, melted butter, vanilla, and egg. Whisk again until just combined.
Step 6: Pour batter over apple slices, smoothing from edge to edge, as needed.
Step 7: Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Step 8: Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Let cool to room temperature before flipping onto a serving plate.
Recipe Tips!
- Slicing the apples: A mandoline would be helpful to cut the apples into consistent ¼-inch thick slices, but it is not mandatory.
- Serving suggestions: Serve with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce drizzled over top or with a dollop of homemade whipped cream on top.
Storage
Store any leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature. The cake will keep for up to 3 days when properly stored.
More apple recipes!
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Apple Upside Down Cake
Equipment
- 9 inch round cake pan
Ingredients
Topping
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 3 Honeycrisp apples
Cake
- 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour properly measured
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Add ¼ cup butter to a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan. Place in the oven for a few minutes until the butter has melted.
- Sprinkle brown sugar over the melted butter in the bottom of the pan.
- Cut the apples into half circles about ¼-inch thick* (no need to peel!) and arrange them in concentric circles on top of the brown sugar, overlapping them slightly until they fill the entire bottom of the pan. Set aside.
- Add flour, sugar, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add milk, remaining 1/4 cup melted butter, vanilla, and egg. Whisk again until just combined.
- Pour batter over apple slices, smoothing from edge to edge, as needed.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Let cool to room temperature before flipping onto a serving plate.
Notes
- Butter: Feel free to substitute salted butter for the unsalted butter and omit the salt.
- Dark brown sugar: You can substitute dark brown sugar for the light brown sugar if you prefer.
- Apples: Any baking apple will work in this recipe. Granny Smith will give you tarter topping, and Pink Lady will give you sweeter topping.
- Flour: Weighing the flour is the most accurate way to measure it (click on “metric” just above the ingredients for the weights). You can also sift or stir the flour, lightly spoon it into the measuring up, and level.
- Cinnamon: You could substitute apple pie spice for the cinnamon.
- Milk: Any milk from whole milk to skim milk will work. Whole milk will give you moister, richer cake than using skim milk. Plant based milk, like almond milk, also works.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Danielle says
I made this and it was simple and delicious! Kate’s was prettier than mine—I think because I used 50% dark and 50% light brown sugar for the butter/brown sugar mixture, so it was darker/the applies didn’t shine through as well. I should have anticipated that! Regardless, it was a crowd pleaser.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad it was a hit!
Anna Janiszewska says
Amazing and really easy to make
Kate says
Thank you!
Amanda says
I melted the butter in the spring form pan and it leaked out. I’m glad that I had the forethought to put a cookie sheet under it just incase. Did I do something wrong?
Kate says
Hi! It’s not that you did anything wrong; your springform pan may just not have a tight seal. If that’s the case, then you can wrap the bottom outside section of the pan with foil to hold everything in.
Chels says
This is a great recipe!!! The company I served it to LOVED it!!!! I especially loved how simple it was to make!!! Thank you so much!
Kate says
Thank you!
Dana Pruchno says
These directions are not clear. Was I supposed to pour out the melted butter and save it to add to the batter?
Kate says
Hi No, when you make an upside-down cake, you use melted butter and brown sugar to make what will become the topping on the cake. You don’t pour it out, but, instead, pour the cake batter over the brown sugar and butter mixture in the bottom of the pan. The additional 1/4 cup of melted butter is used to make the cake batter. I also have step-by-step photos above the recipe showing the process that you can refer to as well. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Carol Booth says
Was easy to make; couldn’t find my mandolin after a whole house move about 4 months ago so sliced by hand. I don’t think mine were as thin as Kate’s photo but it turned out the same. I would not wait until it was completely cooled before turning it out onto a plate…completely cooled, it was VERY difficult to get out of the pan.
I took it to an event and served it with Cool Whip – not option to make & cart real whipped cream. It was devoured! Will definitely make it again.
Kate says
Thank you! If you find that it’s difficult to get out of the pan, you can line the pan with parchment paper for easier removal.