Simple, homey and such a good way to fend off the cold

A line from an e.e. cummings poem pops into my head from time to time: with up so floating many bells down. The line rings like the bell to me, back and forth, with the peal on one side different from the other. The name ‘upside-down cake’ made me think of cummings’ poem, so I’ve paid him a small tribute here.

I was craving a warm-from-the-oven cake the other day after returning from snow-bound Oklahoma, only to find days of straight down rain in my own town. I had some indifferent apples that I knew would cook up just fine, so I’ve modified a recipe from my trusty Fannie Farmer Cookbook. I was hoping for an American tarte tatin, and I think I got it. Enjoy this easy cake with a blob of slightly sweetened, not overly whipped cream.

Upside-Down Apple Cake

Pears will work beautifully here as well.

3 large apples
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pare, core and slice 3 apples.

I've used 2 Granny Smiths and 1 pink lady

Melt 8 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch heat-proof skillet over medium heat. I like a cast iron skillet for this cake. When it foams up, stir in the dark brown sugar.

Stir well until the sugar is dissolved

Mix for a minute or two, until the sugar is melted and bubbly. Remove from heat. Pile the apple slices on top of the sugar, pressing down to flatten.

You can make a nice arrangement of the apples, but I think of this as a very informal cake

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Beat the egg into the melted butter and then add the milk, mixing well.

The butter binds with the egg protein, making it much easier to make a smooth mixture once you add the cold milk

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing until smooth.

The batter should be smooth but not overly mixed

Spread the batter over the top of the apples.

It's a stiff batter -- don't worry about getting it all the way to the edge of the pan

Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake top comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Don't skip the step of letting the cake cool -- the apples will release from the pan as it cools, making it possible to invert

Run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake.

This is mostly to detach any of the cooked cake that is sticking to the pan

Turn a plate over on top of the pan. Hold the plate firmly against the pan, and turn it and the pan over quickly.

Hold the pan over the plate for a moment or so to allow the apples to release

Warm and welcoming, very unpretentious

Serve warm, with gently whipped cream or ice cream. Enjoy, and stay warm.

Kelly McCune © 2010

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