upside-down apple and prune plum spice cake + salted caramel sauce

It all started with a desire for salted caramel sauce, after going many months without it. To be truthful, though, I knew what I was going to make as soon as I saw these seasonal prune plums at my grocer. I harbor a desire to turn everything into an upside-down cake, with the apple spice cakes typical of autumn no exception.

Ordinarily these spice cakes are filled with apple chunks or applesauce, and are tasty, but are also mildly boring and relatively thoughtless to make.

This upside-down version of a spice cake (or a spice cake tatin, if you will) provides some extra built-in flavor, through the glorious layer of caramelized apples and prune plums. It packs a well-spiced punch as well, thanks to additions of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cardamom, and Grand Marnier in the batter.

Bonus: it’s pretty to look at. Bonus 2: The spiced salted caramel sauce is a good substitute in life for anything edible. So delicious!

As I leisurely put together this caramel sauce and cake, I reflected on the last time I had tried my hand at an apple spice cake. I was living in France at the time. Memories sifted through my mind hazily.

I thought back to the glares I received from stylish French people when they saw me pairing Chacos with a bright yellow-green rain jacket. I remembered the time the yard of my apartment was torn apart by my landlady’s construction men in her effort to create a mini-empire of apartments. And then the subsequent time when two weeks of rain flooded the yard, and my roommate and I had to repeatedly make our way through a foot of water to get to our home.

I thought of the familiar sights I saw everyday during my bus commute. Of the smells of freshly-baked almond pastries. Of those teeny tiny cups of coffee. Of the funny short man I saw playing a saxophone that one time. Of all the neat things in my landlady’s backyard, and how her side of the house was very beautiful, while ours was frightening and falling to pieces. Of how I washed all my clothes by hand, because I was too shy to walk down the street to the laundromat. And of the scary mannequin that leered at me in Aigues-Mortes.

It was my time in France, back in 2007, that got me started taking pictures of my baking successes. Due to the sketchy gas oven in my apartment, and my lack of interest in food styling and proper lighting, everything that I documented then looked pretty much the same. But from the granola cake, to the kiwi cake, to this apple spice cake’s predecessor, I was hooked.

I do hope you’ll try this recipe out. It has enough deliciousness to equate to at least a few months of fond memories from time spent abroad – mannequin excluded.

Upside-Down Apple and Prune Plum Spice Cake {original recipe}

Serve with Spiced Salted Caramel Sauce (recipe follows)

I’ve mentioned before that I make my tartes tatins (and upside-down cakes) using a 10-inch cast iron skillet. It is an ideal pan for this cake, as there is no need to flip or disturb the apple plum layer until the cake has finished cooking. If you don’t have this size cast iron pan, you can heat the butter, sugar, apples and plums in a skillet, before transferring to a buttered and floured parchment-lined cake pan.

++Ingredients++

For the caramelized layer:

3 apples (I used McIntosh, they bake well), cored and sliced
5-10 prune plums, pitted and quartered
6 tbsp butter
2/3 c. brown sugar

For the cake batter:

1 c. rye flour
1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, room temperature
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp + 2 tsp Grand Marnier
2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp cardamom
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. heavy cream

++Directions++

In a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat, combine butter and brown sugar. Melt and mix. Arrange apple and plum slices as desired, and allow mixture to cook for two to three minutes, until caramel apple aromas waft up at you. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a medium bowl, combine flours, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or a large bowl equipped with a mixing implement and a strong arm), cream butter and brown sugar for two minutes.  Add eggs, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla, Grand Marnier, and all spices. Add flour mixture in two parts, alternating with the milk and heavy cream, beating at low speed.

Pour batter into cast iron skillet over apples and plums. Butter will rise up around the edges of the pan – don’t worry. Bake cake on center oven rack for 40-45 minutes until an inserted cake tester shows it has cooked through. Allow to cool in the pan for ten minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the skillet to free any adhering cake. Place a large plate on top of the skillet, upside down, and in one smooth motion, flip to turn out the cake onto the plate (you will likely need oven mitts as the cast iron will still be hot). If any fruit bits have stuck behind in the pan, return them to their rightful place on the cake

Cool cake until warm or to room temperature. Served with Spiced Salted Caramel Sauce.Store cake in fridge, well-wrapped, for up to three days.

Spiced Salted Caramel Sauce {original recipe}

Makes ~2 c.

++Ingredients++

1 c. sugar
6 tbsp butter
3/4 c. heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamon

++Directions++

Pour sugar into a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Let sit until sugar melts, and begins turning a light amber color. Stir if necessary to break up any large chunks, but otherwise let it be. When the caramel has turned a medium amber (the darkness is up to you – you want to let it caramelize sufficiently without burning. Remember that it will continue to cook for a few seconds after it has been removed from the heat), add butter and stir until mixed. Add cream, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cardamon, and stir. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Pour into a glass jar and cool completely. Cap and store in fridge or freezer.