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Upside Down Apple Cake

October 1, 2021 by Sweet Ordeal Leave a Comment

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Upside Down Apple Cake is a fun twist on a classic baked apple. Best served warm, this is a perfect Fall favorite dessert to be enjoyed on a cool day. Traditional flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and apples are baked in a 13 x 9″ dish, perfect for feeding that hungry group. Flip the baked cake over and dessert is served.

Dessert made with baked apples, walnuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Is it just me, or do we all think about baked apples in the Fall?

I came home from elementary school one day and Mom had baked my brother and I each a baked apple. Best thing I ever ate. Seriously!

Maybe it was the surprise of it all, but I’ve never forgotten how wonderful it tasted or how it just made my day. Decades later I remember it like yesterday.

Fast forward, baked apples are still one of my favorites, only I like to share. What I mean by that is, reconstructing a baked apple into a 13 x 9″ dish is a great way to share this delicious dessert with lots of people.

More Fall favorite recipes: Pumpkin Pecan Coffee Cake, Dried Cranberry Banana Bread, Deep Dish Cobbler Pie, and don’t miss out on this Apple Pecan Snack Cake.

A moist cake flipped over with tender baked apples now on top.

Making Upside Down Apple Cake

Start by warming up that kitchen with a preheated oven set at 350°.

We’re going to layer this cake from the bottom up, then flip the cake over after it’s been baked.

So first, mix the following together in a small bowl: melted butter, brown sugar, and chopped walnuts. Spread this evenly on the bottom of your baking dish.

Next, spread the diced apples evenly over the walnuts.

Baked apples with walnuts topping a spice cake.

Prepare the cake batter according to the instructions on the cake mix box. In other words, add the eggs, water, and oil however the box tells you.

I used a Duncan Hines Perfectly Moist Spice Cake mix for this recipe, which was delicious.

Pour the cake batter over the apple layer in the baking dish and bake it for about 40 minutes.

Here’s where you don’t follow the directions on the cake mix box. The box might say to bake a 13 x 9″ for 28 minutes, but that’s for just the cake.

We’re not baking just a cake, though. The apples underneath add a lot of moisture and that increases your baking time.

Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake. When it comes out clean, your cake is done. Well, almost.

A spice cake baked over fresh apples, butter, and brown sugar, then flipped over.

Flipping the cake upside down.

The last step is to let the cake cool for about 5 minutes, run a knife along the sides, then flip it over.

The serving dish needs to be flat and bigger than 13 x 9″. I used a cookie sheet, but a 15 x 10″ jelly roll pan would also work.

A layer of parchment paper helped to pretty it up.

So, turn the serving plate upside down and place it directly on the baked cake. Very carefully, grab both dishes with hot pads, then flip it over.

Please be careful as the baking dish is still very hot.

Lift the hot baking dish straight up, and ring that dessert bell.

A slice of freshly baked cake that's been flipped over to reveal walnuts and tender baked apples.

Print
5 from 4 votes

Upside Down Apple Cake

Delicious flavors of buttery brown sugar, roasted walnuts, and diced apples baked upside down with a spice cake.
Prep Time30 mins
Active Time40 mins
Total Time1 hr 10 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 13 x 9, apples, cake mix, Fall Favorites
Yield: 18
Calories: 247kcal
Author: SweetOrdeal.com

Materials

  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped and roasted
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 lbs. apples, (about 3 large) peeled, cored, and diced
  • 1 box spice cake mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Mix walnuts, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon together. Spread evenly on bottom of 13 x 9" baking dish.
  • Spread apples evenly over walnut mixture.
  • Make spice cake mix according to box (eggs, water, and oil). Pour cake batter evenly over apples.
  • Bake in preheated oven for approx. 40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean from center of cake.
  • Allow to cool in baking dish for 5 minutes.
  • Place a serving plate upside down on top of baking dish and carefully turn plate and baking dish over. Remove baking dish. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

Quickly roast your walnuts in the preheated oven. Spread them on a cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until lightly browned.
It's not pretty, but a cookie sheet works great as a serving dish when flipping this cake over. Cookie sheets are big enough that the baking dish handles (if there are any) and the cookie sheet can be gripped tightly to safely flip the cake over. Please be careful as the cake is hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 203mg | Potassium: 149mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 219IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg

Upside Down Apple Cake

Serve this dessert warm or cold, with or without ice cream.

Follow me on Pinterest and show us your Upside Down Apple Cake. We’d all love to see it and your pretty serving plates.

Also, you can rate the recipe and leave a comment below.

Happy baking and have a blessed day.

Walnuts, apples, butter, and brown sugar top a spice cake.A forkful of ice cream and spice cake loaded with fresh baked apples and walnuts.Copyright © Sweet Ordeal. All content and images are copyright protected. Do not use any images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, make sure to re-write the recipe in your own words and only list ingredients making sure to link back to this post for the original recipe and directions.

Filed Under: All Recipes, Cakes, Desserts, Potluck, Uncategorized Tagged With: 13 x 9, apples, boxed cake mix, easy, Fall favorite

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Hello...and welcome. I love sharing a great recipe and I hope you find your next favorite right here. I'll be sharing recipes from appetizers to desserts, easy and moderate, some are even healthy and low-calorie. There's also a few dog treat recipes for any dog lovers out there.

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