Ingredients
Topping
- 90g (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 2 medium tart, ripe apples, peeled, cored and sliced into thin rings.
- 250g brown sugar
- 50ml (3 tablespoons) bourbon
- 3g (1/2 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- 125g (1/2 cup) chopped toasted Nutt Ranch hazelnuts.
Upside Down Cake
- 375g (1-1/2 cups) sifted flour
- 5g (1 teaspoon) baking powder
- 1g (1/4 teaspoon) baking soda
- 1g (1/4 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- 2g (1/2 teaspoon) salt
- 180g (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 125g (1/2 cup) butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 125ml (1/2 cup) buttermilk
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla
Method
Topping
Melt 1/6 of the butter in a skillet. Saute half the apple rings for several minutes or just until they start to colour. Remove to a large plate and set aside. Repeat with more butter and saut’e the remaining apples.
Melt the remaining butter in the skillet. Mix in brown sugar and cook, over high heat, until sugar disolves. Add the bourbon and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and cool.
Using a 250mm cake tin, first pour the sauce into the tin, then arrange the apple slices in the sauce, over-lapping one another, in a ring about 25mm from the edge of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Spoon hazelnuts in the centre of the ring and around the edges.
Upside Down Cake
Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
In a bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and butter together until smooth. Add eggs; beating until well mixed. Alternately mix in buttermilk and reserved dry ingredients and beat until smooth. Mix in vanilla.
Pour batter evenly over the topping, spreading smoothly with a knife. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 35 minutes, or until top is golden and a skewer comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let stand for several minutes, and loosen edges with a knife. Invert on a serving plate and let stand for a minute before removing pan.
Serve warm with whipped cream flavoured with a little sugar and bourbon.