Best Caramel Date Upside Down Cake Recipes

CARAMEL APPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
• Combine butter and brown sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk occasionally until butter has melted. Cook, whisking constantly, for 1 minute as mixture thickens. Remove from heat and whisk in the cinnamon and vanilla extract. Pour into an ungreased 9×2 inch pie dish or round cake pan. (Make sure the pan is 2 inches deep. I recommend this pie dish, which is 1.8 inches deep but I never have an overflow issue.) Arrange the apple slices neatly on top, overlapping where necessary. See photo above. Place pan in the refrigerator for a few minutes as you prepare the cake batter. This helps solidify or "set" the topping's arrangement.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together. Set aside.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add both sugars and beat on high speed until creamed together, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. On high speed, beat in the eggs and vanilla extract until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer onto low speed and as the mixer runs, slowly pour in the milk. Beat on low speed just until all of the ingredients are combined. Do not over-mix. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be slightly thick.
• Remove topping from the refrigerator. Pour and spread cake batter evenly over topping.
• Bake for 40-46 minutes, tenting foil on top of the cake halfway through bake time to prevent the top from over-browning before the center has a chance to fully cook. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean- a couple moist crumbs are OK. Don't be alarmed if your cake takes longer or if the cake rises up and sticks to the foil. (We serve the cake upside down anyway!)
• Remove cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for just 15 minutes. Invert the slightly cooled cake onto a cake stand or serving plate. Some of the juices from the topping will seep over the sides- that's ok. You can slice and serve the cake warm, but the slices will be messy. I find it's best to cool the cake completely at room temperature before slicing and serving. Do not refrigerate the cake to speed up the cooling process because it could end up tasting overly dense.
• Cover leftover slices and store for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature. I don't recommend freezing the cake as a whole because the topping arrangement doesn't thaw very nicely. See make ahead instructions below.

CARAMEL-PEACH UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE WITH BOURBON

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the caramel peaches: Butter a 9-inch cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper and brush the paper with butter.
• Combine the sugar, corn syrup, allspice if using and 1 tablespoon water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high and cook without stirring until the mixture becomes an amber caramel, about 5 minutes. Pour the caramel into the prepared pan and set aside to cool.
• Halve and pit the peaches, keeping their skins intact. Cut each half into 3 wedges. Arrange the wedges in concentric circles over the caramel in the pan. Sprinkle the bourbon if using over the top of peaches. Set aside.
• For the cake: Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand-held electric mixer on low speed, about 1 minute. Increase the speed to high and continue beating until the butter is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at time, waiting for the first to be fully incorporated before adding the second. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Increase the speed to medium and mix briefly to make a smooth batter.
• Pour the batter over the peaches and smooth the top. Bake the cake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack, about 20 minutes.
• Run a knife around the edge of the pan to release the cake. Carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate and remove the parchment paper. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if using.

NECTARINE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fand coat a 9-inch-square cake pan with cooking spray. Combine 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon fine salt and 1 1/2 tablespoons water in a medium saucepan and stir until the mixture looks like wet sand. Cook over medium-high heat, gently swirling the pan occasionally but not stirring, until light amber, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately pour into the prepared cake pan (the caramel hardens quickly). Arrange the nectarines over the caramel in 4 rows; set the pan aside.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon fine salt in a bowl. Beat the butter and the remaining 1 cup sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour, and mix until just incorporated. Pour the batter over the nectarines and spread evenly.
• Transfer to the oven and bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. (Cover loosely with foil if the cake is browning too quickly.) Let sit 15 minutes, then invert onto a platter and let cool completely. Sprinkle with sea salt.

CARAMEL PEACH UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch cake pan, line bottom with parchment paper and brush the paper with butter.
• Caramel peaches: Combine the sugar, corn syrup, allspice and water in a medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high, and continue to cook, without stirring, until the mixture becomes an amber caramel, about 5 minutes. Pour the caramel into the prepared pan and set aside to cool.
• Halve and pit the peaches, but leave their skins on. Cut each half into 3 wedges. Arrange the wedges in concentric circles in the pan. Set aside while you make the cake batter.
• Cake: Whisk the all-purpose flour, white corn flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Slowly mix the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand-held electric mixer. Increase the speed to high, and continue beating until the butter is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at time, waiting for each to be fully incorporated before adding the next.
• While mixing at a low speed, add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream in 2 additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Increase the speed to medium and mix briefly to make a smooth batter. Pour the batter over the peaches and smooth over.
• Bake the cake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack, about 20 minutes.
• Run a knife around the edge of the pan to release the cake. Carefully invert the cake onto a serving plate and remove the parchment paper. Serve warm or at room temperature with ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.
• Serving suggestions: Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

SALTED CARAMEL-ORANGE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Make the caramel: Combine the sugar, 1/3 cup water and the kosher salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Cook, gently swirling the pan occasionally but not stirring, until amber, 8 to 10 minutes. Brush any sugar crystals off the side of the pan with a wet pastry brush. Remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the butter (the mixture will bubble). Pour into a 9-inch-round cake pan, tilting the pan to coat the bottom; set aside.
• Slice off the top and bottom of the oranges. Place the oranges cut-side down and cut off the peel and white pith with a chef's knife, following the curve of the fruit. Cut along both sides of each membrane to remove the segments. Set the segments aside, discarding any seeds.
• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and roast until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool, then transfer to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl; add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt and whisk to combine.
• Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in the orange zest. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the sour cream, beginning and ending with flour, until just smooth.
• Arrange the orange segments in the cake pan in concentric circles. Add the batter and smooth the top. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. (Tent with foil if the top gets too dark.) Transfer to a rack and let cool slightly, then run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert onto a platter. Let cool completely. Sprinkle with sea salt.

CARAMEL-APPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Spray bottom and sides of 8- or 9-inch square pan with cooking spray.
• In 1-quart saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in brown sugar. Heat to boiling; remove from heat. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Pour into pan; spread evenly. Arrange apple wedges over brown sugar mixture, overlapping tightly and making 2 layers if necessary.
• In medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and the salt; set aside. In large bowl, beat 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup butter with electric mixer on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth. Add vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture alternately with milk, beating after each addition until smooth. Spread batter over apple wedges in brown sugar mixture.
• Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on cooling rack 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat whipping cream on high speed until it begins to thicken. Gradually add 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, beating until soft peaks form.
• Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; turn plate and pan over. Remove pan. Serve warm cake with whipped cream. Store cake loosely covered.

CARAMEL APPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Spray an 8- or 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick spray.
• Combine butter and brown sugar for topping in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until butter has melted and mixture begins to simmer gently, 3 to 4 minutes. Don't let the caramel mixture come to a boil; just allow it to bubble gently for a couple of minutes so it can thicken slightly.
• Pour into the prepared cake pan, then arrange apple slices all around the pan as desired. Place in the refrigerator so the topping can set while you prepare the cake.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl.
• Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a separate bowl with an electric mixer until light in color and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the bottom and sides as needed. Blend in eggs, incorporating slowly and scraping down the sides again, as needed. Mix in vanilla. Add in dry ingredients on low speed, blending just until combined; batter will be thick.
• Remove the cake pan from the refrigerator. Gently spread the thick batter over the topping, trying not to disturb the apples too much.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and set on a cooling rack for 15 minutes.
• Place a plate over the top of the pan, then carefully invert it, allowing the cake to release from the pan onto the plate. Let cake cool completely to room temperature, 45 minutes to an hour; the top can be fairly soft and may not cut cleanly while it is still warm.