Caramel Apple Upside Down Olive Oil Cake
The perfect autumn cake with a caramel apple topping and a moist, zesty, olive oil sponge.
Equipment
- Stand or electric mixer
- Silicone spatula
- 9-inch springform pan you can also use a 7 inch springform pan if you want a thicker spong
Ingredients
Caramel Apple Topping
- 85 gs unsalted butter
- 100 gs packed brown sugar
- 1/4th tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 medium (300gs) apples, sliced thinly (preferable granny smith or gala apples)
Cake Base
- 350 gs all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1.5 tsp baking soda
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 200 gs caster sugar
- 150 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 75 ml water
- 2 egg whites
Instructions
Caramel Apple Topping
- Prepare the springform pan by covering only the sides with baking paper, leaving the bottom uncovered. Arrange the apple slices on the bottom of the cake as neatly as possible, making sure that the bottom of the pan is completely covered.2 medium (300gs) apples, sliced thinly (preferable granny smith or gala apples)
- In a saucepan on medium heat, add the butter and brown sugar and melt, whisking occasionally. Once the butter has melted, whisk constantly for 1 minute until the mixture thickens, then remove from the heat and add the cinnamon powder and vanilla extract. Pour the caramel mixture on top of the apple slices into the cake pan. Use a spatula to spread the caramel mixture evenly on the apple slices. Refrigerate the cake pan while you prepare the cake batter to help the topping set a little and not mix with the cake batter when it's poured into the pan.85 gs unsalted butter, 100 gs packed brown sugar, 1/4th tsp cinnamon powder, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Cake Base
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl - flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt and set it aside.350 gs all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder, 1.5 tsp baking soda, 1.5 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt
- In another bowl, add the olive oil, caster sugar, whole eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest, and whisk on medium speed for 6-8 minutes, until the mixture has thickened and doubled in size. Make sure not to increase the mixing speed to high, or the cake batter with have a lot of air bubbles and fall during baking.200 gs caster sugar, 150 ml extra virgin olive oil, 2 eggs, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp lemon zest
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet batter using a silicone spatula in 2 increments, half at a time. Add the water when adding the second half of the dry ingredients, and make sure you are folding the batter gently.75 ml water
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites on high speed until they form soft peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter using a silicone spatula, making sure not to knock out the airyness of the cake.2 egg whites
- Pour the prepared cake batter on top of the caramel apple slices into the cake pan. Bake the cake for 40-55 minutes (more if you are using a 7-inch cake), until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
- Let the cake cool before demolding and slicing into it.
Notes
Storage:
This cake can be stored in the refrigerator wrapped in cling film for 4-5 days
Tips & Tricks:
- Preparing the springform pan - for this cake, the bottom of the pan has to be left uncovered to allow the apples to caramelize properly while cooking. To cover only the sides of the pan with baking paper, cut a strip of the paper a little bigger than the sides of your pan. Grease the sides of the pan with butter, then stick the strip of baking paper along all sides, making sure that the paper is slightly higher than the sides of the pan.
- Folding the dry ingredients - don't rush this step. Gently fold the dry ingredients and egg whites into the batter using a silicone spatula. This allows the batter to maintain its airiness and results in a softer, lighter cake.
- Whipping the egg whites - for this recipe, the egg whites have to be whipped to soft peaks, which means that the egg whites should be frothy and slightly thick. They should form very soft peaks when you pick the whisk up from the bowl.