Cast Iron Apple Upside-down Cake

By á-47

Ingredients

• FOR THE CARAMEL LAYER
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp. water
• 1 tea. fresh lemon juice
• pinch of salt
• 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 Tbsp. dark rum
• 1/2 tea. vanilla
• 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and quartered
• FOR THE CAKE
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup grated Granny Smith apple (1 apple)
• 2 eggs
• minced zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 tea. salt
• 1/2 tea., baking powder
• 1/4 tea. ginger
• 1/4 tea. cardamom
• powdered sugar

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

For the caramel layer: simmer 1/2 cup sugar, water, lemon juice, and salt in a 9 or 10" cast iron skillet over medium heat. Cook, swirling, until mixture is golden, 6-8 minutes. Off heat, stir in cream, 1 Tbsp. butter, rum and vanilla; cool slightly.

Arrange quartered apples in caramel, packing them tightly (they shrink during cooking); set aside.

For the cake: melt butter for brown butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook butter, swirling the pan often, until milk solids turn brown, about 8 minutes. Set butter aside to cool slightly.

Whisk 1 cup sugar, grate apple, browned butter, eggs, and zest in a bowl. Ade flour, 3/4 tea. salt, baking powder, ginger and cardamom,; whisk just to blend.

Place the skillet on a baking sheet, spread batter over apples, and bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 40-45 minutes. cool 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter.

Dust warm cake with powdered sugar before slicing.