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Decadent Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cake Recipe with Spiced Rum Toffee

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A rich and comforting caramel apple upside-down cake topped with a warm spiced rum toffee sauce, perfect for cozy fall and holiday occasions. This cake balances tart apples with sweet caramel and a hint of rum for a crowd-pleasing dessert.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 medium apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick, 113g) unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup (135g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
  • 1 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk + 1/2 tbsp vinegar as substitute)
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar (for toffee)
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (for toffee)
  • 2 tablespoons spiced rum
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for toffee)
  • Pinch of salt (for toffee)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a small saucepan, melt 1/2 cup unsalted butter over medium heat. Add 2/3 cup light brown sugar, stirring until dissolved and bubbling gently. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour caramel mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan.
  2. Arrange thinly sliced apples in a single layer over the caramel in the pan, covering as much surface as possible without overlapping.
  3. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
  4. In a separate bowl, beat eggs with granulated sugar until pale and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add vegetable oil and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.
  5. Add dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk to the wet mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix gently until smooth but do not overmix.
  6. Pour batter evenly over the apple layer and smooth the top with a spatula. Tap the pan lightly to release air bubbles.
  7. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly.
  8. While baking, prepare the spiced rum toffee by combining light brown sugar, heavy cream, butter, spiced rum, cinnamon, and salt in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently until smooth and slightly thickened (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.
  9. Remove cake from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges to loosen, then invert cake onto a serving plate so caramelized apples are on top.
  10. Drizzle warm spiced rum toffee over cake slices just before serving. Warm sauce gently if it firms up.

Notes

Use tart apples like Granny Smith for best texture and flavor. Watch caramel closely to avoid burning. Let cake cool before inverting to prevent caramel from running off. To make dairy-free, substitute butter with coconut oil and heavy cream with coconut cream. For gluten-free, use a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend. Spiced rum can be omitted or replaced with apple cider for a non-alcoholic version.

Nutrition

Keywords: caramel apple cake, upside-down cake, spiced rum toffee, fall dessert, holiday cake, easy apple cake, moist cake, caramelized apples

Find it online: https://gleamgulp.com/decadent-caramel-apple-upside-down-cake-recipe-with-spiced-rum-toffee/