Apple Gingerbread Upside Down Cake! If this doesn’t say Merry Christmas I don’t know what would! It tastes like Christmas morning smells. Warm, spicy, sweet, and perfectly homemade. A homemade ginger cake is layered atop fresh apple slices and a homemade caramel sauce. The result is a sticky sweet topping, a fluffy gingerbread cake, and what might be, my new favorite holiday cake recipe.
Gingerbread Upside Down Cake
I have always loved upside down cakes. They are so easy and so darn pretty. This one has a twist. You make the caramel sauce yourself (it’s just sugar and water, super easy). You pour it over the apples, top with the gingerbread and when you flip this little beauty over the sauce goes into the gingerbread and makes everything all soft and wonderful.
Gingerbread Cake Recipe
The base layer for this cake is gingerbread cake. It’s super easy to make. Be sure to follow the directions and mix the dry ingredients separate from the wet ingredients. This helps evenly distribute the cake and make sure the ingredients don’t get clumpy.
Apple Upside Down Layer
Make a homemade caramel sauce by combining water and sugar in a saucepan. You don’t necessarily need a candy thermometer for this recipe, as it will bake in the oven. Do keep an eye on the color of the caramel sauce because you’ll want it to be as close to golden brown as possible.
- Spray a 9 inch glass pie plate with nonstick spray.
- If you don’t have a pie plate, you can use a small casserole dish, like I did.
- Add slices of apples around the pie plate.
- You can slightly layer them if you want more apples. You will want to be sure the apples are about the same sized slices.
- Make the caramel sauce by combining sugar and water on the stove.
- Stir until golden brown. Allow to slightly cool.
- Pour the caramel sauce over the apples. Be cautious, they can sizzle.
- After pouring the caramel, pour the cake batter over the caramel apple layer.
- Bake for about 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Keep in mind, this is an upside down cake, so there may be a little bit of sticky residue on the toothpick if you stick it all the way through. Insert the toothpick only through the cake layer.
More Cakes for Christmas Time
- Pumpkin Snack Cake
- Healthy Snack Cake with Cranberries and Zucchini
- Cranberry Upside Down Cake
- Easy Cinnamon Roll Cake
Cheers and happy holidays!
Kathi and Rachel
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Ingredients
- Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- For Cake
- 2 apples sliced thin
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup molasses
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup hot water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Caramel Sauce
- In small saucepan combine 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until mixture reaches a dark amber color and 350 degrees on a candy thermometer. About 10-15 minutes.
- While caramel sauce is cooking:
- Spray a 9” glass pie plate with non stick cooking spray.
- Peel and core apples. Slice each apple into 8 slices.
- Line bottom of pie plate with sliced apples (placing decoratively around the pie plate)
- Using mixer (standing or hand held) Combine butter and sugar until creamy. Add EB eggs one at a time until combined. Add molasses and blend until well mixed.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, soda, cinnamon, ginger cloves and salt. Add to wet ingredients in mixer and blend for a minute or two. Add hot water and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed.
- When caramel sauce reaches desired consistency and 350 degrees on your candy thermometer - pour over apples. CAREFUL, it will be hot and the apples will sizzle!
- Pour cake batter over apple and caramel mixture. NOTE: if you are using a small pie pan you might have some extra batter - you can pour into a little ramekin dish and bake along side the cake for an additional treat!
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cake to loosen.
- Carefully place a large platter over the pie plate and using oven mitts invert onto platter.
- Remove the pie pan - the cake will slip out!
- Serve warm with a bit of whip cream for topping if desired!
Adri says
How could I pick just one? That would be like picking your favorite child! Let’s go for Buche de Noel. I say that because your mention of EB eggs brought to mind the fact that I use their eggs for all of my buttercream frostings and custards.