We are in full-swing, holiday decorating mode on this side of the pond. Recycled card stock has been cut into stars and waiting for the arrival of the German glass glitter via La Poste. Our homemade cassis, made from black currents from our garden at Clos de la Cozanne, is ready for gift giving. We lean toward the non-commercial aspects of the season. Lots of baking and festivities centered around good food and good friends.
I happened upon this cake recipe in the November issue of Bon Appétit while in the states. The original recipe called for pears, which I am sure would be lovely, but I used apples inspired from our recent apple picking day at Clos de la Cozanne. This recipe is the perfect finish to an autumn supper and it's great for breakfast the next morning with a cup of tea.
Enjoy your holiday festivities! Eat, drink and be merry...
Apple upside-down cake
Adapted from Bon Appétit Magazine, November 2011 issue
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided, plus more
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons coarse yellow cornmeal or polenta
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup sugar, divided
2 medium apples (about 1 pound)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup whole milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter pan; line bottom with a parchment-paper round. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Stir 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high. Boil syrup without stirring, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush, until sugar turns dark amber, 8-10 minutes. Remove pan from heat; add 1 tablespoon butter (caramel will bubble vigorously) and whisk until smooth. Pour caramel into prepared cake pan and swirl to coat bottom.
Peel, halve, and core the apples. Place flat on a work surface and cut lengthwise into 1/4"-thick slices. Layer slices over caramel, flat side down, overlapping as needed.
Mix remaining 3/4 cup sugar, 8 tablespoons butter, and vanilla in a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add yolks, one at a time, beating to blend between additions and occasionally scraping bowl. Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Using clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites on low speed in a medium bowl until frothy. Increase the speed to medium and continue to beat until whites form soft peaks. Fold about 1/4 of the whites into cake batter. Add in remaining whites; gently fold just to blend. Pour batter over apples in pan, smooth top.
Bake cake, rotating pan halfway through, until top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out with a few small moist crumbs attached, abour 1 hour. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around inside of pan to release cake.
Invert cake onto a plate; remove parchment paper. Serve warm or at room temperature with Calvados spiked whipped cream or caramel ice cream, if desired.
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