Caramel Apple Cake

By cacelias

This is a delicious cake and has a very beautiful presentation! You'll need a 3-inch deep cake pan to hold the apples and batter. A standard cake pan is too shallow. Great to make in the fall. Perfect balance of tart and sweet, like a caramel apple! Julie loved it!

Recipe from Food Network Magazine, October 2010

Ingredients

• For the Caramel and Apples:
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
• 3 cups sugar
• 5 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 large Granny Smith apples
• For the Batter:
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs

Details

Servings 8

Preparation

Step 1

Butter a 9-by-3 inch round cake with pan. (I used a springform pan, and also used parchment paper cut to fit in the bottom of the pan.)

To make the Caramel:
Cook the sugar and corn syrup in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is dark amber, 7-10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Carefully add the cream and 4 tablespoons butter (this will splatter) and cook, stirring, until combined, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and let sit 1 minute. Pour 1 1/2 cups caramel into a glass measuring cup and set aside. Pour the remaining caramel into the prepared pan and set aside until set, about 30 minutes.

Cut 3 apples into quarters and cut out the cores with a paring knife. Arrange the pieces skin-side down in the pan (overlapping them slightly) to form a ring about 1/2 inch from the edge. Save any pies that do not fit for later.

Core the remaining apple and cut it in half crosswise. Scoop out the seeds with a melon baller or measuring spoon. Chop the bottom and any of the leftover quartered apples into pieces; set aside.

Arrange the apple top, stem side down, in the center of the pan. If the quartered apples shift, just push them back into place.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Make the Batter:
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking sode, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream, orange juice and vanilla.

Using a standard mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Crack the eggs into a small bow. Slip them into the mixer bowl, one at a time, and beat until the mixture is pale and creamy, about 5 more minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beater with a rubber spatula.

With the mixer on low speed, add half of the sour cream mixture, then half of the flour mixture. Repeat. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula; finish combining the batter by hand.

Spread the batter over the apples in the pan. Top with the chopped apples. Bake on the middle rack until the cake is bown on top and springs back when pressed, 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes (don't worry if the top is dark). Cool in the pan on a rack.

Invert a plate on top of the cake, then flip over the cake and plate. Wiggle the pan off. Soften the reserved 1 1/2 cups caramel in the microwave, about 2 minutes. Drizzle the cake with some of the caramel. Slice and serve with the rest on the side. Delicious with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.....or both!