Maple-apple upside-down cake

Posted on by Leslie Boyd

Recipe by Mary Croft

1 cup pure Vermont maple syrup

3 Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and cut into eighths

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

¾ cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 ⅓ cups sugar or pure Vermont granulated maple sugar

Crème fraiche, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 10-inch round cake pan. In a large saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat until very thick and reduced to ¾ cup, about 20 minutes. Pour the thickened syrup into the cake pan.

Arrange the apples in the pan in two concentric circles, overlapping them slightly. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a glass measuring cup, whisk the eggs with the buttermilk and vanilla. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy, about three minutes. Beat in the dry and wet ingredients in three alternating batches until the batter is smooth; scrape down the side of the bowl. Spread the batter in an even layer over the apples.

Bake the cake for 1 ½ hours until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a rack for 45 minutes.

Place a plate on top of the cake and invert the cake onto the plate; tap lightly to release the cake. Remove the pan. Let the cake cool slightly, then cut into wedges and serve with crème fraiche. Serves 8 to 10.

 

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