Apple Upside-Down Cake

Ingredients

Cake - makes 8-10 slices

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp cornmeal
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup milk

Glaze/Topping

  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg

Filling

  • 2-3 small apples, sliced thin
  • ⅓ cup pecans, chopped
  • non-stick cooking spray

Special Equipment

  • 9" cake pan

How-to

  1. Preheat oven to 350º and grease a 9" cake pan
  2. In a bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla, beat until very smooth and fluffy.  Add flour, cornmeal, baking soda, salt and beat for 10 seconds. Add milk and beat until just evenly moistened
  3. In a small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and boil for 30 seconds.  Scrape mixture into cake pan and spread evenly. Distribute apples and pecans and lightly press down to level them
  4. Bake 50 minutes, then run knife along outer edge to loosen.  Invert onto a serving plate