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    Home » Thanksgiving

    August 10, 2012 Thanksgiving

    Warm Apple-Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake


    I recently came across a fun baking group called Bake Along on my friend Lena’s blog. She bakes some pretty amazing sweets and I liked the recipes they’ve chosen for the next few months.

    The first recipe I saw on their list was for this fabulous Warm Apple-Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake from a Bon Appetit baking book. I had to bake along this month! If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I just love any thing apple. And any thing upside-down!

    I thought maybe I shouldn't make it and post it here since less than month ago I shared an amazing Peach Upside-Down Cake I made in Italy. After I baked it I thought, why not share it...it is a little different in the method and it's made with apples;)

    I don’t have the Bon Appetit book that their group is using, but they also provided a link to the Bon Appetit issue with a similar recipe for the cake. Lena mentions that the method is a little different in the magazine than the one featured in the book. Comparing my cake to her cake, the result looks pretty much the same.

    The part I love is that you make a caramel first and then add the apple slice to the caramel to simmer and cook a little. The caramel sauce is incredible (and incredibly hot! be careful when you add your apples on top of the sauce); so incredible that you’ll want to save it to pour on top of a big bowl of vanilla ice-cream!

                            

    We all LOVE this cake. How can you go wrong with a moist and delicate cake topped with juicy apples that have been cooked in a caramel sauce? It is my idea of baking perfection.

    Warm Apple-Cornmeal Upside-Down Cake

    slightly adapted from Bon Appetit

    8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
    1/2 cup (for the caramel) plus 3/4 cup (for the batter) sugar
    1 1/2 pounds Golden Delicious apples (about 4 medium), peeled, quartered, cored, each quarter cut into 2 wedges
    3/4 cup all purpose flour
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
    1/2 cup boiling water
    2 large eggs
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1/3 cup whole milk

    Directions:

    Preheat oven to 350°F.

     
    Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat, using a pastry brush to coat sides with butter as it melts. Add 1/2 cup sugar and cook until sugar dissolves and mixture turns deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes.Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar evenly over bottom of skillet, and cook until sugar starts to bubble and turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add apple wedges and gently shake skillet to distribute caramel evenly. Cover and cook until apples release their juices, about 5 minutes. Uncover and reduce heat; cook until apples are tender and caramel thickens and coats apples, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes Remove from heat and set aside.

    Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in small bowl to blend. Place cornmeal in large bowl; pour 1/2 cup boiling water over and stir to blend. Add 5 tablespoons room temperature butter and 3/4 cup sugar to cornmeal mixture. Using electric mixer, beat until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture alternately with milk in 2 additions each. Carefully pour batter over apples in pan.

    Bake cake until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cake in skillet 5 minutes. Run small knife between cake and pan sides to loosen cake. Carefully invert cake onto ovenproof.

    Buon Appetito! Best enjoyed warm and even better with a scoop of your favorite ice-cream!

    How is the rest of your summer going? Thanks for stopping by to say hi!
    xo
    Lora

     

     

    « Sweet Cherry Pie
    Vegan Orange Marmalade Muffins »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Munatycooking says

      August 10, 2012 at 3:58 pm

      Today I've posted an Upside Down cake too 🙂 ... Your cake looks delicious, I haven't used cornmeal in cakes before, but looking at your creation I think I'll try it out. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    2. kitchen flavours says

      August 10, 2012 at 4:13 pm

      Hi Lora, Your cake looks delicious! Yes, the recipe is a little different from the one in the book, and I can see that they are both winners! Caramel with ice cream, sounds good to me! It is great to have you baking-along with us! Please feel free to join us anytime! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

      Reply
    3. Erin @ Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts says

      August 10, 2012 at 4:25 pm

      What a fun baking group. Your cake looks gorgeous. I love apples, but never would have done a cake like this. Great idea!

      Reply
    4. Barbara | Creative Culinary says

      August 10, 2012 at 4:26 pm

      Wondering why I've never thought to try apples with an upside down cake? Love caramel with apples so I'm betting this combination would evoke that flavor combo and I would love it!

      Reply
    5. Southern Girl's Kitchen says

      August 10, 2012 at 5:20 pm

      This cake looks incredible! Apples and Carmel what could be better on cake. : )

      Reply
    6. Laura (Tutti Dolci) says

      August 10, 2012 at 6:18 pm

      Caramel, apple, cake? Looks like heaven to me! 🙂

      Reply
    7. Patty says

      August 10, 2012 at 8:35 pm

      Ok...this looks amazing...

      Reply
    8. Elisabeth says

      August 10, 2012 at 11:16 pm

      Lora, this awesome yummy upside-down apple cake disappeared so fast...I was lucky enough to get a small piece. Can't believe how good it was; so moist not too sweet, and delicious!
      xo

      Reply
    9. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says

      August 10, 2012 at 11:53 pm

      This looks so good. Can I have a piece for breakfast, right now? 🙂

      Reply
    10. Pretend Chef says

      August 11, 2012 at 12:41 am

      This looks so delicious. I love apple desserts. Yummy!

      Reply
    11. Swathi Iyer says

      August 11, 2012 at 2:54 am

      Delicious apple cornmeal cake Lora. I haven't made a upside down for long time.

      Reply
    12. simple baking says

      August 11, 2012 at 3:58 am

      Hi lora,
      this was a really great bake! Lovely moist texture and, like you said, just the right amount of sweetness.
      Your pinwheel pattern on top looks nice. Love the caramalised apples on top.
      Anuja

      Reply
    13. www.you-made-that.com says

      August 11, 2012 at 5:38 am

      This looks so tasty, one of my husbands favorite cakes is pineapple upside down but he loves apples so I'm thinking I should make this for him 🙂

      Reply
    14. eileen@hundred eighty degrees says

      August 11, 2012 at 5:52 am

      Yours look gorgeous: ) nice to have you bake along with us.

      Reply
    15. Lisa says

      August 11, 2012 at 7:07 am

      Who EVER needs caramel apples when you can have caramel upside down cake? (and not risk busting a tooth). It looks beautiful, Lora..so beautiful and delicious, I must pin it 🙂 xo

      Reply
    16. SweetSugarBelle says

      August 11, 2012 at 8:29 am

      I've never had any type of cornmeal cake! I'm so curious to try this!

      Reply
    17. lena says

      August 11, 2012 at 9:52 am

      hi lora, so glad that you decided to post it. Yeah, i enjoy this cake too and if there were ice cream to go along, it would be better still. NIce bake, lora and hope you will continue to bake along with us. Cheers!

      Reply
    18. Pacheco Patty says

      August 11, 2012 at 1:49 pm

      I love the idea of a bake along group, I can smell the cakes coming out of the oven;-)
      This cake has everything I love going for it- the apples, the cornmeal and of course, being upside down;-)

      Reply
    19. Lisa {Authentic Suburban Gourmet } says

      August 11, 2012 at 2:43 pm

      What a great idea to have a "bake along" group! This cake looks and sounds amazing. Pinning now. Happy Saturday!!

      Reply
    20. Abby says

      August 11, 2012 at 4:01 pm

      this sounds SO good! It makes me think of fall, which I'm so excited for!

      Reply
    21. Baker Street says

      August 11, 2012 at 6:34 pm

      Love the idea of bake along and would love to join the group! This upside down cake looks fantastic!! Never tried a cornmeal version, but your delicious pictures are making me drool here!

      Reply
    22. Anonymous says

      August 11, 2012 at 9:20 pm

      Oh this sounds soooo delicious! I love apple desserts! 🙂

      Reply
    23. Jen Laceda | Tartine and Apron Strings says

      August 12, 2012 at 12:19 am

      Hi, Lora! It's so fascinating to see how one recipe can produce so many different but unique versions! Hmmmm...upside down cake or tarte tatin, i love them all!

      Reply
    24. Shulie says

      August 12, 2012 at 3:51 am

      Did I tell you before you are the queen of upsidedown cakes?! Yes, I am pretty sure I did. incredibly moist and delicious looking! I wish I was your neighbor!

      Reply
    25. Terra says

      August 12, 2012 at 3:52 am

      Upside-down cake makes me so happy!!! I am thinking cornmeal and apples would put that cake over the top, Yum!!! Hugs, Terra

      Reply
    26. Priscilla says

      August 12, 2012 at 5:03 am

      Pineapple upside down cake is a fave, so I'm loving your apple, caramel, cornmeal cake!!

      Reply
    27. Jamie says

      August 12, 2012 at 11:54 am

      Well, you know how much I love an upside down cake, any fruit cake like this. I love it with apples - JP's favorite! Perfect again, Lora!

      Reply
    28. Bunkycooks says

      August 12, 2012 at 2:39 pm

      This reminds me of fall! It won't be too long before local apples start to appear in the Farmers' Markets. I will bookmark this reicipe. It sounds perfect for those cooler days that will hopefully be here soon!

      Reply
    29. Brian @ A Thought For Food says

      August 12, 2012 at 3:00 pm

      This looks amazing! I'll be saving this for the fall!

      Reply
    30. Ilke says

      August 12, 2012 at 5:27 pm

      Sounds like a fun group and how about that cake??!! Bet a big dollop of icecream would be perfect with it.
      Summer is going too fast 🙁

      Reply
    31. Jeanette says

      August 12, 2012 at 7:18 pm

      That cake looks incredibly moist - and I like the addition of cornmeal for a little texture.

      Reply
    32. Paula says

      August 12, 2012 at 10:06 pm

      Gorgeous! This may just serve to quell your father's craving for apple pie. Warm baked apples in anything is so wonderful.

      Reply
    33. Alicia says

      August 13, 2012 at 3:34 pm

      Looks delicious and looks as if its will be another recipe that I can use during the wintertime to deal with stored apples.

      Reply
    34. Zoe says

      August 13, 2012 at 11:24 pm

      Hi Lora,

      Nice to have you baking along with us for this bake. I've heard from Lena and Joyce about your blog and so I've participated your foccacia event. Sorry that I've not been active enough to participate further and will try to keep up more in the future 😀

      Zoe

      Reply
    35. joy mcelroy says

      August 14, 2012 at 7:48 pm

      You had me at 10" cast iron skillet! LOVE baking in my skillet...and something this yummy? YAY! 🙂

      Reply
    36. Jenny @ BAKE says

      August 16, 2012 at 11:58 am

      your cake looks wonderful! apple and caramel is just incredible together

      Reply
    37. Chef Mireille says

      August 17, 2012 at 6:14 pm

      I made your peach cake - http://gourmetglobal.blogspot.com/2012/07/peach-upside-down-polenta-cake.html - I am sure this one is just as yummy

      Reply

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    Welcome to our Italian kitchen! We are Lora and Gabriella, the mother-daughter team behind Savoring Italy. With more than 30+ years of experience in the kitchen, Lora has had a great advantage – receiving guidance from both her husband who is an executive chef/restaurant owner and her mother who is a renowned private chef. 

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