Apple Upside Down Wine Cake

This recipe is the perfect kickoff to fall! With hints of pumpkin spice coming from the Chardonnay and the bite of tart apple combined with the sweet caramel layer, this dessert is sure to be a crowd pleaser. You may be wondering, why add wine to a cake batter? Well, it actually serves the same purpose that buttermilk or sour cream would in a recipe. It adds acidity that reacts with the other ingredients to create a light and fluffy crumb. It also serves as an added layer of flavor complexity to a cake and with the pumpkin spice flavoring of this wine, really transforms it into a fall dish through and through. I once heard someone say that apples are for September and pumpkins are for October and I think I definitely agree with that sentiment though I will definitely be making this recipe all fall long!

Kitchen Confidence Tip

When measuring out flour, not only in this recipe but in most others, it is important to use the “spoon and level” method. This means spooning flour into the measuring cup opposed to using the measuring cup directly to scoop out the flour. When you use the measuring cup to scoop directly, it compacts the flour into the cup and can therefore lead to adding too much flour into a recipe. This tends to cause your bake to be dense instead of light and fluffy.

Apple Upside Down Wine Cake

Print

With ImageWithout Image

Yield: 12

Author: Kaylee Larson

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 45 Min

A light and fluffy Chardonnay cake meets a caramel apple with the perfect touch of cinnamon.

Ingredients

Apple Topping

• 2 honey crisp apples peeled and cut in 1/4 inch slices
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 4 tbsp salted butter
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed

Cake Batter

• 3 tbsp salted butter room temp
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 egg whites room temp
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup AP flour spooned and leveled
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1/3 cup Trader Joe’s pumpkin spice Chardonnay or Chardonnay of choice

Instructions

Prepare the apples

1. Add apple slices to a small saucepan with 1 tsp of cinnamon and cook over medium heat until apples have softened but still hold their shape.
2. Remove from heat and set pan aside.

Cake batter

1. Add room temperature butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer (hand mixer is fine too) and cream together on medium for about a minute.
2. Once combined, add in the 2 eggs whites and 1 tsp of vanilla extract and continue to mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. In a separate bowl, add 1 cup of flour and 3/4 tsp of baking powder and stir to combine.
4. In another bowl or measuring cup, mix Chardonnay and milk together. (The milk will curdle but this is okay).
5. In the bowl of the stand mixer, add both the dry ingredients and the wine/milk mixture in intervals of 3.
6. On the last addition of dry and wet ingredients, use a spatula to incorporate the last dry bits into the batter being careful not to overmix.

Caramel topping

1. Add 4 tbsp of salted butter and 3/4 cup of brown sugar to a small saucepan and cook over low heat.
2. Stir constantly until the mixture is lighter in color but not yet boiling.

Assembly

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the bottom of a 9 inch cake pan with parchment paper.
2. Add the caramel to the bottom of the cake pan and spread into an even layer.
3. Next, lay the apples in a single layer on top of the caramel.
4. Finally, add the cake batter on top of the caramel and apple layers and evenly spread.
5. Place into the oven to bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center.
6. Allow cake to cool for 30 minutes before flipping onto a plate or cake plate.
7. Serve as is or with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @Heal.with.a.meal on instagram and hashtag it #healwithameal