Maple Walnut Apple Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup high quality pure maple syrup
- 3 firm apples such as Granny Smith peeled, cored, and sliced into ½ inch thick slices
- 1 cup shelled walnut halves
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Spray a 10 inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a small saucepan bring the maple syrup to a boil over high heat then lower the heat to a simmer to reduce it to approximately ¾ cup. Allow it to cool slightly and then pour it into the greased cake pan.
- Arrange the apple slices over the reduced syrup. Scatter the walnut halves over the apples. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well blended.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- In a liquid measuring cup, combine the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Blend together with a small whisk or fork to break up the eggs.
- On low speed add approximately 1/3 of the dry ingredients followed by half of the liquid ingredients, stopping the mixer and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally.
- Add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients followed by the remainder of the wet ingredients. Add the remaining dry ingredients and blend well.
- Pour the batter over the apples and walnuts.
- Bake approximately 1 ½ hours or until nice and brown on top and a small knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Check the cake for doneness after 1 hour and 20 minutes.
- Cool for about 30-45 minutes and flip out onto a platter. Gently replace any apples that may have stuck to the bottom of the pan back onto the cake.
Notes
Makes 1 10-inch cake