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Caramel apple upside-down cake baked in a loaf pan. Easy apple loaf cake with brown sugar, apples drizzled with a warm cider caramel.
Fall and apples go hand in hand, but they taste even better as cake. This caramel apple upside-down cake bakes in a simple loaf pan, with brown-sugar apples and cider caramel over a tender, lightly spiced cake, and if you’re a caramel person, keep my salted caramel sauce on hand.
Ingredients, Tools & Notes
- Apple cider: Simmered down to a syrupy reduction for the topping and the drizzle. It tastes like concentrated apple, sweet and a little tart, with a deeper, almost molasses-like edge. Any extra is lovely over yogurt.
- Apples: Two medium, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick. A firm baking apple like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp holds its shape best.
- Brown sugar: Packed light brown sugar goes into the topping, cake, and drizzle for that caramel flavor. It also keeps the cake moist.
- 9×5-inch loaf pan: The apple layer, batter amount, and bake time are all sized for it.
- Parchment paper: It forms the sling that lets you lift the cake out cleanly after flipping.
- Kitchen scale: The recipe lists grams, and weighing the flour is the easiest way to get consistent results.
How to make Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake?
Reduce the cider. Simmer until it coats a spoon like thin syrup, then pull it a little early. It thickens as it cools.
Make the topping. Melt the butter and brown sugar, stir in the reduction and salt, and pour it into the pan.
Whisk the batter. Beat the melted butter and sugars until they look like wet sand, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla until glossy.
Fold in the dry. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until any streaks of flour disappear.
Layer the topping and apples. Overlap the slices in a row down the length of the pan.
Bake. Spoon the batter over the apples, smooth the top, and bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Tent with foil at about 35 minutes if the top darkens.
Flip and drizzle. Cool 10 to 15 minutes, run a knife around the short ends, and flip it out. Peel off the parchment and spoon the warm drizzle over the top.
Tips & Inspiration (Variations etc.)
- Flip while it’s still warm. Don’t let the cake cool completely in the pan, or the caramel can set and make it stick.
- Round pan option: An 8-inch round works too. Line the bottom with parchment, arrange the apples in a ring, and bake for a shorter time (35 to 45 minutes). Run a knife around the edge before flipping. You’ll also need more apples for the topping.
- Storing leftovers. Keep the cake covered at room temperature for a day or two, or refrigerate it for up to 7 days. Warm a slice briefly before serving.
- Using the spare apple cider reduction. The spare reduction is delicious over yogurt or oatmeal, or stirred into tea.
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or a fall drink like Brown Sugar Cardamom Latte.
- Add spice: Stir a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom in with the cinnamon.
- Bring it along to Thanksgiving weekend or any fall get-together, since it slices cleanly and is easy to share!
More Apple Recipes?
- Apple Pie Stuffed Snickerdoodles – to use up all the apples on hand
- Apple Hand Pies with a Maple Glaze
- Apple Dutch Baby Pancake – perfect for breakfast!
Follow me on Instagram @sprinklesandscribbles for more baking inspiration!
Apple Upside Down Loaf
Ingredients
Cider reduction
- 2½ cups 600 ml apple cider, simmered 25 to 40 minutes (depending on your pot) until reduced to about ⅔ cup (160 ml) Use: 2 tablespoons for the topping and ¼ cup for the drizzle. You'll have some to spare
Topping
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 28 g
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar 50 g
- 2 tablespoons cider reduction
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 apples, medium peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick. I used honeycrisp
Cake
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled a few minutes 113 g
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar 67 g
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar 100 g
- 2 eggs large, room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour 180 g
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup milk, room temperature 120 mL
Cider caramel drizzle
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 57 g
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar 50 g
- ¼ cup cider reduction 60 ml
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Make the cider reduction
- Make the reduction first. Simmer the cider until it coats the back of a spoon like thin syrup. Pull it a little early, since it thickens as it cools. Set it aside, or make it a day or two ahead and refrigerate. Rewarm gently before using if it has firmed up.
Prep the pan and apple topping
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the loaf pan with a parchment sling, with the paper hanging over the two long sides, and grease the parchment and the ends.
- Melt the topping: add melted butter and brown sugar into a bowl and stir until smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the reduction and the salt.
- Pour it into the pan
- Place the the apple slices in a row down the length of the pan to cover the pan.
Prep the cake batter
- In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter and both sugars until they look like wet sand. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until glossy.
- Add in the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Fold the batter until no streaks of flour remain
- Pour in the milk and stir until combined.
Assemble and bake
- Spoon the batter gently over the apples and smooth the top. It should fill the pan about two-thirds.
- Bake 55 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Tent with foil at about 35 minutes if the top is darkening.
Flip and drizzle
- Cool 10 to 15 minutes. Run a knife around the two short ends (the sling holds the long sides), then flip onto a board or plate and peel off the parchment.
- Make the drizzle while the cake cools: melt the butter and sugar, stir in ¼ cup of the reduction and the salt, and bubble gently for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Spoon it over the warm cake, rewarming it briefly if it has thickened.
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