Apple-Walnut Upside-Down Cake
From the kitchen of CarlyCaramelized apples and toasted walnuts meet buttery cake in this showstopping skillet dessert. Golden-brown apple halves sink into spiced batter, then flip to reveal their glossy, candied tops. Warm slices pair perfectly with vanilla ice cream.
The apples go face-down in a hot skillet first, caramelizing and releasing their juice before the tender cake batter gets poured around them. That golden crust on the apple cut sides is the whole point, textured and slightly bitter against the sweet, spiced crumb. Greek yogurt keeps the cake moist without making it dense, and toasted walnuts ground into the flour add a nutty backbone you won't find in ordinary upside-down cakes.
- Prep
- n/a
- Cook
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- Total
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- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
Ingredients
4 servings
- 1 cupraw walnuts or pecans
- 10 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
- 4 smallor 3 large baking apples , peeled, halved, cored
- 1½ cup light brown sugar, divided
- 1 cupall-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1½ tsp. baking powder
- 1¼ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
- 1½ tsp. ground cinnamon, plus more for serving
- 1½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 largeeggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1½ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, room temperature
- 1Lightly sweetened
- 1softly whipped cream
Instructions
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Scatter the walnuts across a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing once, until golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let them cool.
While the nuts toast, set a 10-inch ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Drop in 2 tablespoons of butter and swirl it around to coat the pan, then nestle the apple halves cut sides down in a single layer. Leave them alone, rotating the skillet on the burner as needed for even color, until the cut sides turn golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes (juicier apples take longer, so check by look rather than clock). Flip the apples and cook on the rounded sides just until they begin releasing their juices and a knife tip slides through with slight resistance, about 5 minutes. Transfer them to a plate cut sides up and let them cool.
Pour off any excess butter if needed, then add ¼ cup of the brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of water to the skillet and set it back over medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula until the sugar dissolves, then stop stirring and let the mixture cook, swirling the skillet occasionally, until it thickens into a bubbling, shallow layer, about 1 minute. Pull the skillet off the heat and let the caramel cool completely inside.
In a food processor, pulse the toasted walnuts, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and 1½ teaspoons cinnamon until the nuts are finely ground and everything is combined. Tip the walnut mixture into a medium bowl and set aside.
Combine the granulated sugar, remaining ¼ cup brown sugar, and remaining 8 tablespoons of butter in the food processor (no need to wash it) and run in long pulses until the mixture is light and smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and process in long pulses, scraping down the sides once, until smooth. Add half the walnut mixture and pulse to combine, then add the yogurt and pulse just until it disappears into the batter. Add the remaining walnut mixture and pulse just until combined.
Lay the apple halves cut sides down over the cooled caramel in the skillet, spacing them evenly. Give the batter a few folds with a spatula, scraping the sides of the bowl to make sure it is uniform, then scrape it over the apples and work it into the gaps between them. Smooth the surface as best you can. A thin layer of batter in places is fine; it rises in the oven.
Bake until the surface is deeply browned all over and the center springs back when pressed gently, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool the cake in the skillet for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula or a small knife around the edge to loosen it. Place a wire rack upside down on top of the skillet and, in one confident motion, flip the whole thing to release the cake. Carefully lift off the skillet. If any apples or crumbs cling to the pan, scrape them free and press them back onto the top of the cake.
Slice into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature, topped with generous dollops of lightly sweetened whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon.
The cake keeps well: bake it up to 2 days ahead, let it cool completely, then store it tightly wrapped at room temperature.
Tips from the kitchen
- Nail the apple prep: cut sides down in the hot skillet, undisturbed, for a full 5 to 10 minutes. Resist the urge to move them around. That caramelized face is non-negotiable.
- Toast your walnuts yourself and grind them in the food processor along with the dry ingredients. Store-bought walnut flour browns differently and misses the freshness.
- Room temperature eggs and Greek yogurt matter here. Cold ingredients won't emulsify properly with the butter and sugar, and you'll end up with a gritty crumb instead of tender.
Variations
- Pear-Walnut: Swap in firm pears for the apples and reduce the cinnamon to 1 teaspoon. Pears need slightly less time in the skillet and are less forgiving about browning, so watch them closely.
- Cardamom-Almond: Use sliced almonds instead of walnuts, skip the cinnamon, and add 1 teaspoon ground cardamom to the dry mix. Works beautifully with Pink Lady apples.
- No-Walnut Version: If you need to skip nuts, grind 1 cup oats into the flour instead and add 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil to the batter. The cake won't be quite as dense, but it'll still taste good.
- Apple-Brown Butter: Brown the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan before folding it into the sugar. It adds a faint nuttiness that plays well with the walnuts.
Make ahead and storage
Keep covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4 days. The cake firms up slightly when cold, which is fine. Don't freeze, as the apples will weep and the texture will suffer on thaw. Reheat gently in a 300°F oven if you like it warm.