Butterscotch Apple Upside-down Cake

Ingredients:

• 4 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 4 oz butter
• 2 x apples, peeled and cut into 8 slices each
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp nutmeg
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 cups milk
• 4 x eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pour two cups of the sugar into a pile in the center of a thick-bottomed saucepot. Pour in the water around the edges of the sugar. Turn the heat to high and without stirring watch as the sugar dissolves into the water forming a syrup. After a few minutes of vigorous simmering the syrup’s water will evaporate and the heat will begin to rise past the boiling point in the remaining sugar syrup. After a few more minutes the sugar will begin to brown slightly. At this point gently swirl the pot so that the sugar browns evenly.
When all of the sugar is an even golden brown remove from the heat and add four ounces of butter to ‘shock’ the caramel and stop its cooking process. Stir just long enough to fully dissolve the butter forming butterscotch.
Places the apple slices in the caramel forming an attractive ‘wagon wheel’ pattern around the edges. Fill in the center with more apple slices.
In a separate bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, remaining two cups of sugar and spices until well combined. Add the milk, beaten egg, melted butter and vanilla. Stir until a smooth batter forms, its OK to have a few lumps…
Pour the batter on top of the apples and bake in for 45 minutes until the top is golden brown. A thin knife inserted into the cake should come out cleanly…
Run a thin blade around the outside of the cake to loosen completely from the pot. Invert onto a serving plate: Voila! If one or two apples stay behind in the pot carefully replace in the pattern…
 

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