Deliciously Simple Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake Recipe – Easy, Cozy, and Crowd-Pleasing

This cake tastes like a caramel apple in cozy, sliceable form. It’s buttery, tender, and full of warm spices, with soft apples nestled under a glossy caramel top. If you can melt butter and stir a bowl, you can make this dessert.

No special tools, no fussy steps just straightforward baking with big payoff. Serve it warm with ice cream and prepare for happy silence at the table.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

• Foolproof and unfussy: The batter is simple, and the caramel comes together right in the pan.
• Rich caramel top: Brown sugar and butter melt into a shiny caramel that coats the apples and creates a gorgeous finish.
• Tender crumb: Sour cream keeps the cake moist and soft without being heavy.
• Balanced flavor: The apples stay fresh-tasting, the caramel isn’t cloying, and the spices are just right.
• Flip-and-wow presentation: That dramatic upside-down reveal never gets old and looks bakery-made.

Ingredients

• For the caramel and apples:
  • 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter
  • 3/4 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 large apples (about 1 lb), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick (Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
• For the cake batter:
  • 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk, at room temperature
• To serve (optional): Vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream

Instructions

1. Prep the
   
   
   

   Celia Robinson

   Deliciously Simple Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake Recipe - Easy, Cozy, and Crowd-Pleasing

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   Prep Time 20 minutes mins

   Cook Time 40 minutes mins

   Total Time 1 hour hr

   Servings: 8 servings

   Ingredients Method

   Ingredients

     

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   • For the caramel and apples:
   • 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter
   • 3/4 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
   • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
   • 2 large apples (about 1 lb), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick (Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith)
   • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
   • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
   • For the cake batter:
   • 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
   • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
   • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
   • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
   • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
   • 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
   • 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
   • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
   • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
   • 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream, at room temperature
   • 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk, at room temperature
   • To serve (optional): Vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream

   Get Recipe Ingredients

   Instructions

    

   1. For the caramel and apples:
   2. 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter
   3. 3/4 cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
   4. 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
   5. 2 large apples (about 1 lb), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick (Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith)
   6. 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
   7. 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
   8. For the cake batter:
   9. 1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
   10. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
   11. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
   12. 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
   13. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
   14. 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
   15. 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
   16. 2 large eggs, at room temperature
   17. 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
   18. 1/2 cup (120 g) sour cream, at room temperature
   19. 1/4 cup (60 ml) milk, at room temperature
   20. To serve (optional): Vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream

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