This caramel apple upside down cake is a fall must-make. Combining a soft cinnamon-spiced cake with buttery caramelized apples, we’re essentially getting two desserts in one. After inverting, the topping’s juices seep down into the cake and add unbeatable flavor and moisture. What you’ll love most, besides the flavors, is that thereโs no fancy decoration requiredโthe lovely garnish is literally baked into the cake!
I originally published this recipe in 2013 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips. I’ve also made a few small changes to the recipe which are reflected in the printable recipe below.
One of the first dessert recipes I published was caramel apple upside down cake. It’s a forever favorite and totally deserving of that early spot in my archives. I bake this recipe at least once every fall season and have made a couple minor updates to the recipe over the years. The cake is better than ever. I figured you’d appreciate seeing what I’ve done!
One reader, Hannah, commented: “This was so easy! I love that it only used two apples but made such an impressive dessert and really infused the cake with their flavor. A hit for my family ๐ โ โ โ โ โ ”
One reader, Kathy, commented: “This cake is easy and absolutely delicious! I’ve made it 4 or 5 times now, and I’m thinking of making another right now! Definitely becoming my go-to dessert recipe! โ โ โ โ โ ”
One reader, Sasha, commented: “This recipe is SO GOOD! It will absolutely be a fall classic for years to come. Thanks for this recipe! I followed it as is and it came out perfect. โ โ โ โ โ ”
This Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake Is:
- Melt-in-your-mouth soft & moist, like this apple cake but remixed a bit!
- Extra flavorful like my beloved apple cinnamon bread
- Easyโno crazy ingredients or techniques required
- Perfectly sized for a small family or gathering
- The best destination for your freshly picked apples ๐
Try it at least once. I guarantee it will be a repeat recipe in your kitchen. And if you are looking for even more inspiration, here is a list of 30+ fall cake recipes.
Apple Upside Down Cake Topping
The topping is baked underneath the cake. After the cake slightly cools we’ll invert it onto a serving plate, the same way we flip pear tarte tatin before serving. The caramel flavor comes from the butter and brown sugar. Combined with vanilla and apples, the topping alone makes this a recipe worth repeating. It’s downright GOOD.
I know youโll appreciate this: I mention this above, but it’s worth repeating. Apple upside down cake is basically already frostedโonce you invert the cake, the garnish is already there! Use apple slices, not chunks, just like I recommend for apple cobbler.
A few preliminary notes on the topping:
- The topping in my original recipe had a little too much butter. I also reduced the cinnamon and put more in the cake itself.
- Melt the butter and brown sugar together on the stove, then cook for 1 minute. The mixture will slightly thicken and take on a caramel-like flavor that intensifies as the cake bakes. Not a lot of recipes do this, but it makes a big flavor difference. In my pineapple upside down cake recipe, we simply add melted butter to the cake pan and sprinkle the brown sugar on top. As a result, you don’t really get the same caramel flavor. Perfectly fine for that recipe, but why not take an extra minute here?
- Arrange the apple slices on top of the butter/brown sugar mixture. Try to squeeze as many apple slices in the pan as you can. No one has ever complained about extra caramel-y apples!
Let’s Make the Cake Batter
The cake batter is pretty straightforward and similar to the original recipe. Like most cakes, the base is creamed butter and sugar. Regular sugar lightens up the crumb, while brown sugar adds flavor. We use both in this cake. The cake is super soft and cinnamon-spicedโsimilar in taste and texture to apple cupcakes.
The batter differs from my pineapple upside down cake. Pineapple rings are heavier than apple slices, so we use cake flour, egg whites, and sour cream in that recipe to help keep the crumb light. Here we can use whole eggs and all-purpose flour.
Two Baking Tips:
- You can bake this cake in a cake pan or pie dish, but make sure it’s at least 2 inches deep. I recommend this pie dish, which is 1.8 inches deep but I never have an overflow issue.
- Because of the wet bottom layer (which is the topping), the cake takes much longer than a typical 1 layer cake. Its juices will bubble up the sides, creating these incredible caramelized edges. (See the edges below? Theyโre so good!) With upside down cakes, itโs always good practice to place a baking pan or sheet on a lower rack to catch any juices should they splatter over the edges.
Expect a Dense Cake
Iโve made hundreds of upside down cakes, or so it seems, and I say with 100% certainty that this style of cake will always be on the denser side. (Unless you are using store-bought cake mix.) The cake is served upside down. The weight of the topping, which is the bottom of the cake as it bakes, weighs down the crumb beneath it. Upside down cake will never be as light and airy as white cake. If you were to make this exact cake batter and serve it right-side-up, the cake would taste much airier. Does that make sense?
While this apple upside down cake is mega soft and not nearly as dense as, say, pound cake, itโs not overly light either. I know youโll love its unique texture, especially paired with the caramel apple topping. Let me know how you like it!
Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 8-10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This stunning apple upside down cake combines a soft cinnamon-spiced cake with a delicious buttery caramel topping. Pack those apples into the panโthis cake can hold a lot and you won’t regret those extra slices!
Ingredients
Topping
- 6 Tablespoons (85g)ย unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 medium apples, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices (1.5โ2 cups, or 188โ250g, apple slices)*
Cake
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 Tablespoons (90ml) whole milk, at room temperature*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC).
- Prepare topping first:ย Combine butter and brown sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk occasionally until butter has melted. Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute as mixture thickens. Remove from heat and whisk in the cinnamon and vanilla extract. Pour into an ungreased 9×2 inch pie dish or round cake pan. (Make sure the pan is 2 inches deep. I recommend this pie dish, which is 1.8 inches deep but I never have an overflow issue.) Arrange the apple slices neatly on top, overlapping where necessary. See photo above. Place pan in the refrigerator for a few minutes as you prepare the cake batter. This helps solidify or “set” the topping’s arrangement.
- Make the cake batter:ย Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add both sugars and beat on high speed until creamed together, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. On high speed, beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer onto low speed and as the mixer runs, slowly pour in the milk. Beat on low speed just until all of the ingredients are combined. Do not over-mix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
- Remove topping from the refrigerator. Pour and spread cake batter evenly over topping.
- Bake for 40โ46 minutes, tenting foil on top of the cake halfway through bake time to prevent the top from over-browning before the center has a chance to fully cook. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly cleanโa couple moist crumbs are OK. Don’t be alarmed if your cake takes longer or if the cake rises up and sticks to the foil. (We serve the cake upside down anyway!)
- Remove cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for just 15 minutes. Invert the slightly cooled cake onto a cake stand or serving plate. Some of the juices from the topping will seep over the sidesโthat’s ok. You can slice and serve the cake warm, but the slices will be messy. I find it’s best to cool the cake completely at room temperature before slicing and serving. Do not refrigerate the cake to speed up the cooling process because it could end up tasting overly dense.
- Cover leftover slices and store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature. I don’t recommend freezing the cake as a whole because the topping arrangement doesn’t thaw very nicely. See make ahead instructions below.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can refrigerate the topping in step 2 for up to 1 day. If refrigerating for longer than 1 hour, cover it tightly. Other than that, this isnโt the best cake to make ahead of time or freeze because the apples will settle down into the cakeโwhile still tasty, the presentation wonโt be as pleasing. You can, however, prepare the cake batter’s wet ingredients (cover and refrigerate) and dry ingredients (cover at room temperature) separately up to 1 day ahead of time, then continue with the recipe the next day. Let the wet ingredients come to room temperature before mixing.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Saucepan | Whisk |ย 9-inch Pie Dish | Glass Mixing Bowl | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack
- Old Recipe: The current cake recipe was updated in 2020. If you loved the old cake recipe, originally published in 2012, here it is: increase the topping’s butter to 1/2 cup (1 stick; 115g) and add 1/4 teaspoon each of ground cloves and ground nutmeg when you stir in the cinnamon. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of walnuts on top of the apples before pouring/spreading on the cake batter. In the cake batter, reduce the milk to 1/4 cup (60ml).
- Apples: Use your favorite variety of apple. I typically use Granny Smith, Fuji, or Honeycrisp. Here’s more on the best apples to use for baking.
- Milk: Whole milk is best, but you can use lower fat or nondairy milk if needed.
- Why is everything at room temperature? All refrigerated items should be at room temperature so the batter mixes together easily and evenly. Read more about the importance of room temperature ingredients.ย
Reader Comments and Reviews
My family loved it. It was great. We had it warm and the cake was nearly gone overnight.
The batter wasn’t as thick as I imagined it would be but I did still have to spread it a little, so i think I was thick enough (I didn’t watch the video, so I dont know how thick it was supposed to be).
I lightly greased my pan because I wasn’t very confident in it not sticking, but it turned out fine!
I never made a caramel nor a turnover cake of any kind, I haven’t baked in a while, and I made the batter in a bit of a rush, so I’d say this recipe and it’s instructions are really good
Just made this for the first time for Canadian Thankgiving dinner! So good!
+1 on the advice to put a pan under the cake… my springform pan couldn’t hold the topping in tightly and I made a mess of the oven lol… put a pan under but not before it had leaked!
LOL, same here, tried it for the first time today, Oct. 11, 2026, Thanksgiving. Used a springform pan also, thankfully it didn’t leak. But it was a large pan and it was more like a torte. Will try a smaller pan next time.
Delicious! Will make it again!
I had used a springform pan aswell and thr same thing happened. Does anyone know a good way to prevent leaks or is it inevitable?
Can I use self raising flour instead? Thanks
Hi Elizabeth, Unfortunately, we donโt recommend using self rising flour in this recipe. It would take additional recipe testing to ensure accurate results.
Can I use a blend of AP flour and whole wheat flour to add a nuttiness and a bit of bitterness to cut the sweetness?
Hi Pat, for best results, we recommend sticking with all-purpose flour in this recipe. You could try half all-purpose, half whole-wheat flour, but the cake will be heavier and denser.
Could this be made in a square glass pan (8.5 inch)?
Hi Pav, that should be fine. Here’s what you need to know about cake pan sizes and conversions.
Thank you so much! I ended up using a square glass pan and it turned out great. Other than the different pan and using 2% instead of whole milk, I followed the recipe as is. I found it took a bit closer to 55 minutes in the oven for mine to be baked in the center. It tasted amazing! The caramel apple topping was incredible, and the cake was a lovely soft texture. This was the perfect fall dessert recipe for Thanksgiving!
Hi Sally
What can be a vegetarian alternative for eggs?
Thanks
Hi Amara, we havenโt tested any egg alternatives but let us know if you do.
I made these as mini cakes in jumbo muffin tins & it made a delicious dozen!! It took them about 30 minutes to bake and they came out beautifully!!
This cake was so delicious!! I did not refrigerate the left overs over night, so should I throw it away? Thank you!
Hello. I was in the process of making this cake and you called for 6 tablespoons of milk but no where does it say anything as to when to add. I just added it to the wet ingredients at the end. Maybe you can fix this so others don’t get confused.
Thank you, Sheryl
Hi Sheryl! You add the milk after combining the wet and dry ingredients in step 4: Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer onto low speed and as the mixer runs, slowly pour in the milk. Hope you love the cake!
I have some fresh pecans. Can I add them to the caramel layer without them burning?
Or should I mix them into the cake batter instead?
Hi Karen, we would mix them in with the cake – toasting them would add some great flavor as well!
This went down very well as a pudding with some pouring cream. We enjoyed the slightly dense texture and the spice in the apple – the kitchen smelled very festive.
I just made this and my cake stuck to the side of the pie plate. What did I do wrong?
Hi Robin, I’m sorry to hear that, and happy to help troubleshoot. If the cake stuck to the pan, it sounds like it may have been slightly over-baked. An easy fix for next time! Try decreasing the bake time just a bit. Use a toothpick to test for doneness โ a mostly clean toothpick means the cake is ready. You can also run a knife along the edges of the pan before inverting โ that should help loosen it up a bit. Thank you again for giving this one a go!
Just wanted to say that this is a brilliant recipe! The cake came out so beautifully- it has the perfect level of sweetness and looks amazing. I made some small adaptations, using pear alongside the apple and baking in a slightly deeper tin, and it still worked really well. Thank you very much!
Could buttermilk and cake flour be used?
Hi Tracy, whole milk is best here, but buttermilk should work just fine in a pinch. Cake flour is a bit too light for the heavy apple pieces, so we recommend sticking with all-purpose flour.
The recipe calls for an ungreased pie plate. Does it not stick?
Hi Adrienne, correct!
Do you think it would work to make this into individual cakes, such as a large muffin tin?
Hi Deeanne, we havenโt tested anything, but this should work in a muffin pan. Bake time will be shorter. Let us know what you try!
Hello, why not bake at 325f instead of 350f so you donโt have to open the oven and tent halfway through?
Great recipe! GF bakers cream the sugar and butter then add gf flour and vanilla beat for at least 1 minute until clumpy beads form. Add the beaten eggs finish my stirring in the milk. Do not over mix after adding eggs. I used a glass Pyrex pie dish available at most grocery stores. Picture perfect.
Iโve made this twice and itโs delicious. Iโm making it in a round 9×2 inch metal cake pan, but my apples seem to sink a lot more than yours do. Any idea why?
Hi Sarah, we’re so glad you’re enjoying this recipe! Is the cake underbaked by chance? Cakes can sink a bit if they are not fully baked through. How long is your cake sitting before serving? The apples will naturally start to sink a bit over time, too.
Hi can this be made with gluten free flour instead?
Hi Maddy, we haven’t tested it with gluten free flour, but let us know if you do.
Yes use the reverse cream method when using gf flour. Add beaten eggs after creaming the butter sugar and flour. Once you add the eggs donโt over mix I make my own mix but arrow head mills and the Trader Joeโs work well without the grainy texture characteristic of most substitutes.
I would love to make this for our neighborhood potluck. Could it be doubled to make in a 9×13 pan?
Hi Lynda, We have not tested this cake as a sheet cake, but you can try doubling it and baking in a 9ร13-inch pan. We are unsure of the bake time needed but let us know if you give it a try!
This cake looks delicious. I would like to give it a try and was wondering if it could be made in a 9″ cast iron skillet.
Thanks,
Don Glover
Hi Don! A cast iron skillet should be great. We recommend at least a 10 inch size. Hope you enjoy it!
Hi Sally! Can I let it come to room temp while upside down, and only after itโs completely cooled down, only then to flip it?
Hi Shirley! You risk the cake sticking to the pan if you fully cool it in the pan. It is best to invert while it is still warm!
Iโd really like to make this for my Rosh Hashanah dinner. If I put parchment on top of cake then wrap in plastic, then aluminum foil do you think top will hold?
Could I use a springform pan and use parchment paper in the bottom. If already asked what is the answer?
Hi Barbara, that should be fine, though you risk the caramel topping seeping through the springform pan. Lining it with parchment could help, but we haven’t tried it ourselves.
This is a wonderful recipe with juicy fruit and a light, moist cake. It works well with many variations. At my most recent attempt, I made a few swaps: used peaches instead of apples, and added a heaping tablespoon of gochujang paste to the caramel after removing it from the heat. It was incredible. Thanks!
I made two cakes of this recipe for a church dinner. They both turned out fantastic. I did run a knife around the edges and they came out of the pans easily. I also used two 9″ baking pans.