Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

Caramel apple upside down cake is a festive dessert recipe you can enjoy all fall and holiday season long. Buttery, sweet caramelized apples bake underneath shortcut apple cider spice cake for a treat that’s easy and delicious.

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Fried apples are a serious thing in this house.

They are the one side dish we must have every Thanksgiving and Christmas.

But they are so good we make them when we have waffles and pancakes too.

So really, why not put them on cake?

This caramel apple upside down cake basically is a mash up of apple cider donut cake and fried apples.

It’s loaded with a homemade apple topping and tons of warming apple flavor that make your kitchen smell like fall.

And it’s easy as – well, cake- to make!

I’m not baking the cake from scratch but dressing up a box of spice cake mix with apple cider and the fried caramel apple topping.

The result?

Indulgent, apple goodness in each and every bite.

Ingredients and Kitchen Supplies

For caramel apple upside down cake, you will need the following ingredients:

• Apples – You want to use a tart, crisp apple like granny smith or cortland. Red delicious and other sweeter apples tend to fall apart.
• Brown Sugar – With butter’s power combined, you create homemade caramel!
• Butter – Needed to make the caramel apples portion.
• Ground Cinnamon – This gives the caramel apples a fall flavor.
• Spice Cake Mix – Sure, you can make your own mix, but this is where you can short cut with good results.
• Apple Cider – This helps flavor the spice cake like apple.
• Eggs – You need these to help the cake take and hold shape.
• Oil – A little bit of oil to give the cake extra moistness.

You do not need any fancy equipment, but you will want to pull out:

• Bundt pan
• Measuring cups
• Rubber spatula
• Cast iron or similar pan

How to Make Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

1. Prepare the apples.

Before doing anything, preheat your oven to 350.

As it heats, wash and chop the apples into roughly 1″ cubes (this does not need to be precise, you can also peel them if you like).

Melt the butter in your cast iron or other skillet over medium heat.

Add in the cubed apples and cinnamon and saute for about 4 to 5 minutes or until they start sweating a bit.

Add in the brown sugar and continue to saute until a rich, caramel sauce develops, about 5 to 10 more minutes.

Remove from heat as you prepare the cake batter.

2. Prepare the cake batter.

Add the cake mix, eggs, oil, and apple cider to a large mixing bowl.

Stir to combine.

3. Fill the pan and bake.

Spray your bundt pan with non-stick spray, the more the better to help with releasing it.

Add in the apples and spread evenly over the bottom of the pan.

Pour in the batter and spread evenly around the pan.

Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a fork stuck in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and allow to fully cool before flipping the pan onto a plate to release the cake.

Serve with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream if desired.

Serving

Caramel apple upside down cake pairs very well with whipped cream and vanilla ice cream.

You could also drizzle on extra caramel sauce.

If you like warm cake, you can microwave a slice for a few seconds to warm it up before serving.

Storing

For the love of all things holy, please do not try to freeze caramel apple upside down cake.

Instead, place in an airtight container and store on the counter for about 2 to 4 days.

You could also place the container in the fridge for about 4 to 6 days.

Tips and Tricks

• For a richer cake, you could swap in more butter in place of the oil in the cake though keep in mind the cake will be denser. Just melt the same amount of butter as oil and mix it into your cake batter. Just watch overheating it. You do not want to accidently cook some of the eggs when you mix it in.
• In a pinch, you could use white or yellow cake mix. You can add a homemade apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice, or just a combination of cinnamon and nutmeg to the batter. About 1 tablespoon should work.
• Make sure you liberally spray the pan with nonstick spray. This will help it release. We also find gently tapping or banging the bottom of the pan helps to release the cake from the bundt pan.
• Prefer smooth apples? Peel them before slicing (this works a lot better than peeling after you slice them).
• The best apples to use are tart, baking apples Granny Smith. Softer apples are more likely to fall apart and not hold up to cooking and baking.
• You don’t have to use a bundt pan to bake this in, but our daughter insists on it to making it a bundt because it looks fancy. You could use a 12″ or 14″ cast iron pan to cook the apples and then pour the cake batter over that and pop that into the oven. You will likely need to adjust the time some so I would check it after 30 minutes. It is done when a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Other Apple Desserts

• Easy Apple Cider Donuts (with Cake Mix)
• Homemade Apple Pie Recipe
• Apple Pie Filling
• Mini Apple Pies
• Easy Apple Crumble Recipe

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