Apple Cinnamon Upside Down Cake

Based on Bill Granger's recipe in bills.

Ingredients

Makes

  • 100g unsalted butter
  • 4 large firm apples
  • juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 100g unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 4 eggs, separated
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 1.25 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • a pinch of salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Prep

  1. Peel, core and cut 4 large apples into 1cm slices
  2. Zest then juice one lemon into a bowl
  3. Separate 4 eggs
  4. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F

Topping

  1. Place the 100g unsalted butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and melt.
  2. Toss the apple slices with lemon juice and zest in a bowl.
  3. Add to the butter. Cook apples gently for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add 1 cup caster sugar and 1 tsp vanilla essence and cook for 5 minutes longer.
  5. Remove apples from the pan with a slotted spoon and arrange in the bottom of a greased and greaseproof-paper-lined 23 cm (9 in) spring-form cake tin.
  6. Increase heat and boil remaining liquid in the pan for 5 more minutes until a rich caramel forms.
  7. Pour caramel over apples in the base of the tin.

Cake

  1. Place 100g unsalted butter and 1 cup caster sugar in a bowl and cream until light and fluffy.
  2. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition.
  3. Add 1 tsp vanilla essence.
  4. Gently fold in 1.25 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, a pinch of salt and 1 tsp cinnamon.
  5. In a small, clean, dry bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.
  6. Fold through cake mixture with a large metal spoon. Spoon evenly over apples and caramel and smooth with a spatula.
  7. Bake cake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
  8. Remove cake from the oven and leave in the tin for 5 minutes.
  9. Remove sides from the cake tin and place a large serving plate on top of cake. Turn cake over onto serving plate. Remove base and greaseproof paper.
  10. Serve warm with cream.