Apple Upside-Down Cake

So, it’s not too hot yet to use the oven and you are looking for an impressive coffeecake to serve your friends or winter visitors who will be leaving the area soon – as soon as all the snow melts! The appearance of this cake is the best part of the serving. Everyone will “ooh” and “aah” at your expertise and they all should enjoy this treat. You can take a bow!

Apple Upside-Down Cake

You will need:

¼ cup butter, softened

¾ cup maple syrup

¼ tsp. ground ginger

2 medium Granny Smith or Jonathan apples

¼ cup dried cherries or dried cranberries

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. apple pie spice or ground cinnamon

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¼ tsp. baking soda

¼ cup butter, softened

½ cup packed dark brown sugar

2 egg yolks

½ cup milk

2 egg whites

¼ cup granulated sugar (or Splenda)

Vanilla Ice Cream

Method:

1. Adjust oven rack to lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a 12” cast iron or oven-going skillet melt ¼ cup butter. Stir in maple syrup and ginger. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
3. Core apples (if you like, you can leave the peel on). Cut into ¼” slices or so. Arrange the apple slices and dried fruit in the skillet, turning apples to coat with syrup mixture in the pan.
4. In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, apple pie spice or cinnamon, and baking soda. Set aside.
5. In a large mixing bowl beat ¼ cup softened butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and egg yolks; beat until combined. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.
6. Wash beaters thoroughly for next use. In a medium-size mixing bowl beat egg whites on medium until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add sugar, beating on high until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight up). Fold gently 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the batter mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in the remaining beaten egg whites. Pour the batter evenly over the apple slices and dried fruit, being careful not to disturb the apples and fruit.
7. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
8. Cool in the skillet on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Using a sharp knife or narrow metal spatula, loosen edges of cake from side of skillet.

Carefully invert the cake onto a round serving plate. Serve warm with ice cream on the side. Or, whipped cream would go nicely. Be ready to serve seconds.