This Apple Upside Down Cake is one simple-to-make tender, rich, indulgent-tasting cake that is absolutely covered in apples that bake to being meltingly soft in a pure, dark maple syrup caramel sauce. And bonus: It’s vegan friendly!
Maple Apple Upside Down Cake is quite possibly the best cake I’ve ever made. Bold words, I know, but I mean them.
I held off on boarding my Crazy Fall Train as long as I possibly could. I *KNOW* there are people out there (like my husband) who just can’t HANDLE the fact that the leaves are going to turn colours and fall to the ground and the air is going to become crisp, cold, and lovely.
All my resolve crumbled in nanoseconds when I walked into my favourite farm stand and saw the first Jersey Mac new crop apples. Gorgeous, crisp, tart, new FALL apples.
I gave up, because I am what I am. I bought a tote bag of apples and went home to contemplate the glory of the upcoming autumn.
The first thing I did was work on this cake that’s been baking away at the back of my mind just waiting for the fresh apple crop. Maple Apple Upside Down Cake combines my two favourite seasons of fall and spring -or, as I refer to them- apple and maple seasons.
Maple Apple Upside Down Cake is everything wonderful about Western New York in one lush cake. It’s tender, rich, indulgent-tasting. It is absolutely covered in apples that bake to being meltingly soft in a pure, dark maple syrup caramel sauce.
Oh… and hey… it just happens to be egg and dairy free, making it *gasp* vegan. Don’t look at me like that.
This cake rocks the Casbah, baby. My husband was absolutely shocked when I told him it was a vegan cake.
“Seriously? You’re kidding me. This thing tastes like you put a pound of butter in it!” It took some convincing for him to believe me.
I dropped a piece off with my friend at the dance studio. She called me to tell me that it was the best cake she’d ever eaten and it “tasted like it had magic in it.”
Big words for a grand cake, folks. If you don’t take my word on anything else this year, take it on Maple Apple Upside Down Cake.
Maple Apple Upside Down Cake is almost sinfully easy to make, the slicing of the apples being by far the most complicated portion of the process, but that has never stopped me from over-clarifying things before, thus…
Should I use real maple syrup in my apple cake?
Let’s start at the top. I used Dark Grade B Maple Syrup in Maple Apple Upside Down Cake because (as I’ve said here, here, and here) it just plain packs more maple punch.
If you don’t live in maple country, I’m happy to let you know that you can purchase it online. If you can’t /won’t order it, you can substitute real Grade A amber maple syrup, but it won’t have those deep caramel notes that Grade B maple syrup has.
Fun fact: Grade A syrup and Grade B syrup do not refer to the quality of the syrup, but rather the colour and the concentration of flavour. Grade A Maple Syrup is lighter in colour and has a less concentrated flavour than Grade B.
I’m relatively sure you probably already know this, but I’m going to say it anyway to head this question off at the pass. It’s a no on subbing pancake syrup for the dark maple syrup.
There is one notable exception to the no pancake syrup rule, and that is our brown sugar homemade pancake syrup. That works beautifully in this apple upside down cake.
Which apples do I use for my apple upside down cake?
There is a whole world of apple varieties out there from which you can choose. I used a combination of two super fresh apples: Jersey Macs and Ginger Golds.
Try to pick a tart, firm apple that won’t brown so quickly when cut and is known to be a good baking apple. Some other nice choices are Empires, Honey Crisps, Idareds, Romes, Jonamacs, and Paula Reds, just to name a few.
Truth: I like pretty things, so I took my time and arranged the apple slices in concentric circles. Do you need to sweat this?
Nope. As long as you cut them all roughly the same size and thickness (please shoot for 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick), you can toss them all in the pan on top of the maple syrup and not worry about the pattern. Trust me.
You’re going to want to use an oven-safe 11 3/4-inch or 12-inch skillet. Ideally, you’ll be using a cast-iron skillet because it’s so darned good at conducting and retaining heat evenly.
If you don’t have a skillet that large, I’d advise halving the recipe and putting it in an 8-inch cake pan, adjusting the baking time accordingly.
Begin testing for doneness around 23 minutes if you downsize the recipe. If you want to use my absolute favourite skillet for the job (the one pictured in this post), it’s available for ordering here.
If you’re worried that your skillet or pan is undersized, please place your pan on top of a rimmed cookie sheet to catch any spill-over. My 11 3/4-inch skillet was the perfect size for the job.
What sugar do I use for my apple cake?
I prefer Sucanat. It’s short for Sucre de canne naturel. I know, it sounds like a high-falutin’ French ingredient unless you grew up in a household with hippie parents (ahem) and/or you’re into health food.
Don’t let the health food associations fool you, though, it’s ridiculously delicious with front notes of caramel and molasses. Once you’ve tried it, you’ll try to find ways to slide it into food as often as you can.
It makes sugar seem insipid. That being said, if you can’t find it/won’t order it, you can sub in an equal volume of granulated sugar or raw sugar.
What milk do I use for my cake?
Unsweetened almond milk is what this recipe calls for. Just about every mid-sized grocery store in America carries this now.
If you can’t find it, and have no objection, you’re welcome to sub in whole dairy milk or another unsweetened, non-dairy milk. I have personally made it with dairy milk and with soy milk quite successfully.
Can I use extra virgin coconut oil to make cake?
This stuff is basically my be-all-and-end-all. I cook with it almost as often as butter, pop my popcorn in it exclusively, and use it in place of butter for holiday/special occasion treats for my non-dairy friends.
PEOPLE, it’s like the bass-o-matic of fats. I also use it for an all-natural make-up remover, moisturizer, and other crunchy beauty treatments (see above hippie parent reference.)
Again, most moderately stocked grocery stores will carry extra virgin coconut oil (solid up to 76°F, then magically liquid), but you can (as I do) order it from Amazon.com, as well. Heck, folks, I have it auto-shipped monthly. That’s how much I love it. And mes amies, if you can’t/won’t order coconut oil, you can sub in butter, but I prefer this made with the coconut oil.
Want more cake? Who doesn’t?
Try our Brown Sugar Peach French Yogurt Cake, Orange Olive Oil Cake with Candied Oranges, Cinnamon Toast Cake, and Lemon Yogurt Cake.
And you might need a perfectly fall main dish to go with this delectable cake. Look no further than our fabulous Flammekueche – Flammkuchen- Tarte Flambée a.k.a. Alsatian Pizza!
Apple Upside Down Cake
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Generously grease the inside of a 11 3/4-inch or 12-inch cast-iron skillet with extra virgin coconut oil.
Pour the maple syrup into the bottom of the pan. Arrange the apple slices in concentric circles on the bottom of the pan.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sucanat or sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt until even. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond milk, coconut oil, and vanilla extract.
Pour into the flour mixture and use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to stir the two mixtures together until no dry pockets remain. Scoop in dollops over the apples and gently spread toward the edges to level.
Bake for 35 to 38 minutes, or until the top has browned a bit and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes on the stovetop.
To transfer to a plate or cake stand, run a thin knife or spatula around the inside of the pan. Invert a plate or cake stand that is larger than the circumference of the pan over it.
Carefully hold the plate to the pan as you invert the whole shebang. The cake should come out of the pan easily, but if it needs a little encouragement, smack the back of the pan firmly with your hand a couple of times.
Carefully remove the pan. The maple syrup will run down the sides of the pan onto the platter. Serve warm, room temperature, or cool. Leftovers can be stored tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Maple Apple Upside Down Cake
Rate RecipeIngredients
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup dark Grade B maple syrup
- 3 large fresh, firm apples, cores removed, cut into 1/8-inch thin slices
- 4 cups all-purpose flour 1 pound 1 ounce by weight
- 2 cups sucanat can substitute granulated sugar if necessary
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 3/4 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil melted, plus extra for the pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease the inside of a 11 3/4-inch or 12-inch cast-iron skillet with extra virgin coconut oil. Pour the maple syrup into the bottom of the pan. Arrange the apple slices in concentric circles on the bottom of the pan.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sucanat or sugar, baking powder, and kosher salt until even. In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond milk, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Pour into the flour mixture and use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to stir the two mixtures together until no dry pockets remain. Scoop in dollops over the apples and gently spread toward the edges to level. Bake for 35 to 38 minutes, or until the top has browned a bit and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes on the stovetop.
- To transfer to a plate or cake stand, run a thin knife or spatula around the inside of the pan. Invert a plate or cake stand that is larger than the circumference of the pan over it. Carefully hold the plate to the pan as you invert the whole shebang. The cake should come out of the pan easily, but if it needs a little encouragement, smack the back of the pan firmly with your hand a couple of times. Carefully remove the pan. The maple syrup will run down the sides of the pan onto the platter. Serve warm, room temperature, or cool. Leftovers can be stored tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
did you make this recipe?
Make sure to tag @foodiewithfam on Instagram and #hashtag it #foodiewithfamily so I can check it out!
This post was originally posted August 25, 2015. Updated August 23, 2020 with improved cook’s notes and nutritional information.
Reader's Thoughts...
Isabelle says
Hi – I just made this for our Rosh Hashana dinner tonight. Can I keep the cake in the skillet for longer that the 10 mins, so that it stays warm until dinner, or does it need to be turned out when it is just out of the oven? Thanks so much!!
Rebecca says
Hi Isabelle! Happy Rosh Hashana! I think you may want to turn it out of the pan or the apples may not want to come out. 🙂 You’d probably be best off turning it out onto a platter, tenting with foil, and keeping warm-ish. 🙂
Stacy says
Why were eggs not listed in the ingredients for the cake? I checked other recipes, and they called for eggs. I used gluten free all purpose flour, btw. I added 4 eggs based on the other recipes I read. We’ll see what happens! 🙂
Rebecca says
Oh Stacy! I wish you had kept the eggs out. This is actually an eggless cake by design. I’m not sure what will happen with the two changes you made (I suspect it would have been fine if you used gf ap flour but left out the eggs), but it will definitely not be the cake that you see in the pictures!
Steve says
What do you think about lining the skillet with parchment in order to make it easier to get the finished cake out of the pan?
Marina says
I’d love to try making this for my husband, but he is newly diagnosed with celiac…do you know of anyone who has made this successfully with GF flour?
Rebecca says
Hi Marina- I’m thinking it’ll work pretty well. I have a sister who owns a GF bakery and have a little experience with baking GF cakes. They’re far easier than GF bread if you ask me! 😉 I think a GF all-purpose 1 for 1 blend should work well. King Arthur makes an excellent one!!
Marina says
Thanks! I’ve just started trying to find all the GF places to eat and shop in Phoenix. Not a huge selection so far. He is also being tested for a dairy protein allergy. So, basically I’m trying to empty out my pantry and fridge of all the poison and start on a fresh and exciting, new culinary adventure with lots of modifications along the way. Wish me luck!
Rebecca says
Have you tried Salad and Go? I love them when I visit Phoenix! http://saladandgo.com/
Marina says
I have not tried Salad and Go. We used to go to Sweet Tomatoes quite often, but that was before GF days. I could’ve swore that all the restaurants we frequent had lots of great GF options, but in reality, some of them have maybe 1 option and most of them don’t have anything. GF has been such a peripheral thing for me, aware of it, not paying too much attention because it wasn’t a thing for us. We do have True Food Kitchen and Flower Child. They are amazing and delicious and a revelation as to what can be done if you are creative and adventuresome. However, our budget can’t handle more than 1x per month, if that. I’ve found a few blogs where I feel recipe modification may be a win for us (yours is one of my top 3 because you have such a great “crunchy” vibe, I feel your recipes will be simpler to modify because the foundation is good). Thank you for your kind replies!
Rebecca says
You’re very welcome! Please let me give a shout-out to my friend Mary’s blog- barefeetinthekitchen.com – every single one of Mary’s baking recipes has a gluten-free version! Her son had to eat gluten-free for many years, so she has some FANTASTIC cake recipes that are GF!!
Emily W. says
This looks so good! But i can’t figure out what I did wrong. Mine did not fully cook in the middle, even after 45+ minutes. And, though I tried to seal the edges, that maple syrup made a burnt mess of my oven. The only sub I did was whole milk for the almond. I hate to have wasted all of the ingredients. My baking powder is good, I double checked all the amounts, and yes I measured the flour right lol. Any ideas? I’m determined to try it again! Because the flavors are fantastic.
Rebecca says
HA! You anticipated my flour question. 😀 Let’s see if I can address some of these issues. First, even if you seal the edges, there will be a bit of bubbling up. You probably want to place the skillet on a rimmed baking sheet. That will catch any boil over and contain it. Subbing the whole milk should not keep your cake from baking, so what I’m wondering about is how well calibrated your oven is temperature wise and also what size/shape pan you’re using. Was the rest of the cake fully cooked? If not, I might’ve tried leaving it in longer on the chance that perhaps your oven temp isn’t quite calibrated (most ovens have some degree [pun alert] of variance from what they list as the temperature.)
Emily W. says
Funny enough… I put an oven thermometer in the (brand new) oven in several spots and it registered 350 everywhere. Baked in the big 12″ cast iron skillet. The middle third of the diameter is what was gooey. I have a double oven with the small upper oven and baked it in that one. Next time maybe in the bottom one! It managed to fully cook after I put it back in, albeit later in the morning. Aaaaanyway…forgive the email-worthy comments and thank you for your time! You’re one of my top three favorite food bloggers!
Rebecca says
Thank you so much, Emily! You’re so kind! I am a little lost about what happened there. I’ll have to give it some thought. In the meantime, let’s just say increase your baking time until it tests done in the center!
pralinesloth says
so easy and very yummy – your cake satisfied an urgent sweet craving we had after supper tonight:-) made 1/2 recipe in smaller stainless skillet and it worked out great. since it was an “emergency,” had to use regular sugar, soy milk, and a mix of coconut oil + Earth Balance – still turned out to be an exceptionally moist cake with a lovely gooey topping. who knew maple syrup could be so therapeutic? thank you – this recipe is a keeper!
Theliz says
This was delicious! It definitely had a molasses flavor with the succanat and I thought I would be able to share with coworkers, but my family devoured it. There are only three of us. We ate the whole thing….
Rebecca says
I hear ya. We kind of did another one in in one night here. It’s a little on the dangerous side!
amanda says
I love everything about this cake! I need this ASAP!!!
AppleHillCottage says
Oh this looks like the best cake ever. My mouth is watering… And you know, even Aldi carries Coconut Oil now.
Brian @ A Thought For Food says
Can I tell you a secret? I’m ready for fall. Not winter, not the brutal cold or snow. Just… fall.
Point being, I love this cake ’cause it’s gearing me up for the season to come. And, of course, because it looks absolutely delicious! Perfect for a leisurely brunch with friends or an end to a meal, served with a big pot of tea.
Alice E. says
The cake looks VERY tasty. But I bet you mean coconut oil not olive oil in the last part of the last note?
Rebecca says
You’re very, very correct! 😀 Thanks, Alice!
Joan Hayes says
Oh my gosh this is stunning! Gorgeous cake, gorgeous photos, and now I’m super excited for fall and apple picking! Can’t wait to make this. 🙂
Raquel Silies says
Can I sub in a stick of butter for the coconut oil? I love coconut oil, but have some beautiful Ginger Golds and want this cake preferably tonight and I do not have enough coconut oil. Everything else I have.
Rebecca says
Sub in a half a stick (1/4 cup) for the coconut oil. 😀 You can absolutely do that! I prefer the finished product made with coconut oil, but this is good, too!
Emily W. says
I’ve finally gotten my hands on some grade B! And my cripps pink will have to do. Now, I’m reading the recipe says a full half of a cup of coconut oil, right? Also, if I run out and sub real butter, it’d only by 1/4 cup of butter? Because that’s a hefty liquid difference and I trust you. Just wanted to make sure I’m following right!
Rebecca says
Hi there! It’s a full half cup of coconut oil. If you sub in butter, sub in an identical amount: 1/2 cup (also known as 1/4 pound or 1 stick of butter. 🙂 )
sue|theviewfromgreatisland says
Absolutely stunning, I can’t decide if it’s prettier cooked or uncooked! I adore maple, so this is a must try, thanks!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
mmmm that caramely top looks so delicious!! Definitely can’t go wrong with a good apple cake!