Caramelized Apple Upside Down Cake

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I've been baking so much that I ran out of flour and sugar. I had to reload before I can bake this awesome deliciousness.

For the caramelized apple:

• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled cored and cubed
• 6 tablespoons (90 grams) of sugar
• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of water
• 1 tablespoon (10 grams) of butter
• 2 tablespoons of Calvados (French apple brandy) or rum (I left it out by accident, oops)

For the cake:

• 3 tablespoons (45 grams) of butter, melted
  
• 1/3 cup (50 grams) of cake flour (I used all-purpose flour, forgot Pei's suggestion)
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) of milk
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• a small pinch of salt
  
• 3 egg yolks (50 grams)
• 4 egg whites (100 grams)
• 2 tablespoons (30 grams) of sugar

For the caramelized apples, first cook sugar in a non-stick pan on low heat until it turns into a dark brown liquid (like molasses). Add water, stir to incorporate. Add butter and stir. Turn the heat up to medium high and add apples and Calvados or rum. Cook until apples pieces are soft. It's done when the kitchen smells like grandma is baking an apple pie. Spray baking molds (a regular cupcake or muffin pan should do) with non-stick spray and place caramelized apples at the bottom.

Mix melted butter with flour until all the lumps are out. Add milk, vanilla extract, salt and egg yolks. Mix until combined. Beat egg whites in a stand mixer, slowly add sugar in thirds until the egg whites form stiff peaks. Gently fold egg white foam into the batter. Do not over mix. Fill the molds with batter and smooth out the top. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. I didn't use a muffin pan for this, so baking time can vary. If the top of the cake turns light brown and puffs up, the cake should be done. Unmold and serve (with ice cream would be even more decadent).


Next time, I would cook the apples a little longer, so the sauce is darker and more concentrated. The cake is light and delicate, perfect with the intense flavor of the caramelized apples. It's divine when fresh out of the oven and paired with ice cream.