Maple Glazed Upside-Down Apple Cake
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A dense apple cake with tender cubes and thinly sliced layers caramelized in a maple-spiced glaze. Uses warm spices and apple cider for deeper aroma. Beating butter and sugar to fluffy is key to lightness. Watch for bubbling edges and a golden crust. Serve warm, spooned with spiced cream or coconut yogurt for dairy-free.
Prep:
40 min
Cook:
Total:
Servings:
12 servings
#apple cake
#maple syrup
#French-Canadian
#upsidedown cake
#cardamom
#fall dessert
#baking tips
#nutty texture
Apples, maple syrup, and warm spices made me rethink the simple upside-down cake. Not just cinnamon and plain apples—cardamom and vanilla reinvent the flavor profile, subtle but impactful. The trick: thin apple layers packed tight to prevent batter from drowning the fruit. Then cubes folded into batter add surprise textural pops. Butter and brown sugar beaten together hold air bubbles; no skipping that or you get something dense and heavy. These cakes can be finicky — too wet batter and the glorious apple bed sinks or sogs out. Better let batter rest a few minutes while oven warms up to bind slightly. I swapped out some quantities, less apples but more texture; applesauce doesn’t cut it here. Maple syrup glazes and seeps creating that blistered, sticky apple crust that makes this cake unforgettable. Cool cake properly; too hot and it tears on flipping, too cold and the glaze sticks to the pan. A bit nerve-racking but once mastered, so worth it.
Ingredients
- 4 medium Granny Smith apples peeled
- 125 ml pure maple syrup
- 450 ml all purpose flour
- 10 ml baking powder
- 5 ml ground cardamom
- 3 ml salt
- 180 ml unsalted butter softened
- 320 ml packed brown sugar
- 2 large free-range eggs
- 200 ml apple cider
- 60 ml finely chopped walnuts (optional twist)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (replaces cinnamon)
About the ingredients
Original called for Cortland apples, but Granny Smith bring tartness balancing the maple’s sweetness. Using apple cider instead of plain juice deepens flavor and adds acidity helping with rise. Switched cinnamon for cardamom – it’s less common but inventive. Vanilla extract enhances wet ingredients without overpowering. I introduced walnuts to cut sweetness and add crunch — omit for nut allergies. Butter beaten with brown sugar must be fluffy—patience pays off. Flour mix needs sifting or whisking to avoid lumps. Always measure flour properly by spooning and leveling; too much makes cake crumbly. Maple syrup is both a sweetener and a glaze so quality matters. If no maple on hand, honey or silan work but change final flavor.
Method
Preparing Apples
- Set oven rack mid-level and preheat to 175 C (350 F). Butter a 2-liter souffle dish. Peel and cube one apple; set aside. Slice remaining apples very thinly on a mandoline; keep star centers for presentation.
- Arrange thin apple slices in overlapping concentric circles covering bottom of the dish. Press gently so slices form a solid apple carpet that won’t let batter seep through. Pour maple syrup evenly over apples for glazing.
Mixing Dry and Wet
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt in a bowl. The cardamom adds unexpected warmth instead of cinnamon’s sharpness; try it.
- In another large bowl, beat softened butter with brown sugar until fluffy and paler in color. This beats air into the batter, crucial for a tender crumb.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Fold in vanilla extract now to integrate fragrance.
Combining Batter
- On low speed, alternate mixing in dry ingredients and apple cider, starting and ending with flour mixture. Stop when just combined—overmixing makes cake tough.
- Gently fold in apple cubes and chopped walnuts for texture and a nutty contrast.
Baking
- Pour batter over apple bed in dish. Level top with spatula but don’t press down hard—the apples need room to shine through.
- Bake about 1 hour 25 minutes. Watch for bubbling edges and golden top. Insert toothpick or skewer near center; if it comes out clean or with moist crumbs, done.
Cooling and Serving
- Let cake cool about 20 minutes in dish to settle and make flipping easier. Run thin knife around edges before inverting onto serving plate. The glossy apple layer should gleam on top.
- Serve warm or room temp. Bonus: dollop with spiced whipped cream or coconut yogurt mixed with a drizzle of maple syrup.
- Store leftovers wrapped, they improve after a day allowing flavors to deepen.
Cooking tips
Preheat oven fully to ensure even baking. Buttering the souffle dish thoroughly prevents sticking when flipping—use softened butter and spread evenly. Apple slices must be paper-thin and arranged tightly; gaps let batter through making a mess when unmolding. Press gently but don’t smash apples down or they’ll steam instead of caramelize. Adding syrup before batter seals in moisture and creates crunchy edges. When creaming butter and sugar, beat long enough to see pale color and increase volume; skipped that step once, regretted it with a dense cake. Adding eggs slowly prevents curdling. Alternate dry and wet ingredients mixing just until combined preserves air. Baking time varies by oven and dish – watch for color changes and test doneness with toothpick. Cooling slightly allows the glaze to set—too soon flipping and you lose the apple topping. A thin knife to loosen edges helps clean inversion. Serve with something creamy and subtly spiced; elevates final dish. Leftovers improve as flavors mingle so don’t rush eating.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Butter and sugar beaten long enough to turn pale and fluffy means trapped air that lifts batter—skip or rush this, cake gets dense and heavy. Watch texture closely not just color. Use room temp butter, small bowl for better control.
- 💡 Thin apple slices need to be paper-thin. Gaps mean batter seeps. Press gently but don’t squash, or apples steam not caramelize. Overlapping concentric circles create a tight carpet that crisps up with maple syrup glaze—liquid pooling is your enemy.
- 💡 Alternate dry flour mix and apple cider on low speed. Start and end with dry ingredients. Overmix and gluten tightens, tough crumb follows. Fold chunks of cubed apple and walnuts very gently after; folding preserves tender texture and nutty contrast.
- 💡 Cooling time crucial: too hot, cake tears when flipped; too cold, maple glaze sticks to dish. About 20 minutes rest after baking; use thin knife to separate edges carefully before inversion. Patience here saves shape and glossy top layer.
- 💡 Cardamom replaces cinnamon for less shouty spice but adds warmth. Vanilla folded early with eggs. Swapping apple cider for juice deepens flavor and acidity helps with rise. Walnuts optional but add crunch and cut sweetness. Always sift or whisk flour to avoid lumps.
Common questions
Can I substitute apples?
Cortland swaps tartness for sweetness; Granny Smith keeps balance. If no apples, no close substitute—texture and moisture different. Applesauce messes up texture here. Thin slices crucial not just cubes alone.
What if batter seems too wet?
Rest batter few minutes to bind. If too runny, flour measuring often culprit—spoon and level, not scoop. Adding too much liquid toughens cake. You want batter thick enough to hold but not dry.
How to prevent sticking?
Butter souffle dish thoroughly. Run thin knife around edges after baking. Maple glaze sticky, pressing batter down seals apples but too much pressure traps moisture, steam makes sog. Proper buttering key.
Best way to store leftovers?
Wrapped warm or cooled, fridge or room temp both fine for 1-2 days. Reheat slightly to revive glaze crust, microwave or oven works. Freeze in airtight container if longer storing but glaze texture loses shine.
