Upside Down Apple Cake

By á-47

Ingredients

• Apples:
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses (optional)
• 3-4 crisp tart apples or pears, peeled, cored and cut into wedges
• Cake:
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tea. vanilla
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 1/2 tea. baking powder
• 1 tea. salt
• 1/2 tea. cinnamon
• 1 cup buttermilk or yogurt

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

To prepare apples: melt butter in a 10-12" cast iron skillet over low heat. Add sugar and molasses to pan and stir. Place apple (or pear) wedges in the pan, trying not to leave large gaps. Cool over medium-low heat about 15 minutes.

To prepare cake: beat butter and sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla and eggs. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (flour through cinnamon). Add buttermilk and flour mixture alternately to butter mixture and mix until well blended.

Remove skillet from heat. Spoon batter over apples and spread to cover completely. Place in oven and bake 20-25 minutes, until cake is golden brown and bubbly. Let cake cool in skillet 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate, arranging any apple slices that have fallen off the cake.

Serves 10