Apple Upside-Down Gingerbread

Description

Courtesy of Chef Trish Aser of Brown Hound Downtown

This delicious recipe was provided by Chef Trish Aser of Brown Hound Downtown located in Rochester, NY.

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup(s) packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup(s) butter
  • 2 tablespoon(s) apple cider
  • 1 teaspoon(s) molasses
  • 2-3 apples
  • 2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
  • 2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon(s) ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
  • 1 cup(s) sugar
  • 1/2 cup(s) melted butter
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup(s) molasses
  • 1/2 cup(s) canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
  • 1/2 cup(s) boiling water

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9" x 9" x 2" square baking pan or 10" round cake pan with nonstick spray.
  2. Combine the brown sugar, butter, apple cider and molasses in a heavy saucepan.
  3. Bring to boil over medium heat, whisking until sugar dissolves and syrup is smooth; boil 1 minute. Pour evenly into prepared pan.
  4. Core and cut 2–3 apples into ½” slices and arrange in caramel in a decorative pattern.
  5. In mixing bowl, whisk and blend flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground ginger and salt well.
  6. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients (butter, eggs, molasses, canned pumpkin puree and boiling water), by hand or electric mixer.
  7. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just blended—do not overmix.
  8. Dollop batter over patterned apples, so as not to disturb your design and smooth batter to cover to the edges.
  9. Place cake pan on a cookie sheet to catch spills and bake about 25 to 30 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes.
  10. Place serving platter face down over pan and flip to unmold cake.
  11. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream, crème fraîche or ice cream.
TIP:
  • If uncertain that your cake is finished baking, look for slight puffing on top and when gently pressing a finger into the cake, it should spring back.
  • If your cake doesn’t unmold, warm the bottom of the cake pan for a couple minutes in a pan of very hot water to loosen the caramel.
  • If any apples/caramel remains in the pan, gently remove with a spatula and replace on top of cake!
  • I don’t recommend a loose bottom/tart pan as most of your caramel will escape and turn to hard candy on your pan.
  • If you have hard candy-caramel on you pans, soak in warm water for 10-15 minutes. It will soften and dissolve easily!
  • If you like a spicier cake, by all means adjust quantity and variety of spices … allspice, clove, nutmeg, etc.
  • Use a muffin tin to make individual cakes!