Apple Upside-Down Cake

We had a long weekend. We also have two grandfathers that celebrate birthdays on Labor Day weekend. So we ate. A lot. It was almost like Christmas. Only it was 100 degrees out.

I made two completely separate cakes. In the oven... It was 100 degrees outside.

I don't know what I was thinking (Really, I do, I'm just too cheap to buy something that I can do myself.) so made cake-s.

The first one was a birthday cake. It was just a plain ole chocolate with whipped icing. I used mixes. I mean, I had two cakes to make, what do you expect. Except that we rocked it out with a famous duck call company logo. The man I am married to cut it out of a black Sugar Sheet. It looked really good. Like, really, really good. Any mistakes or imperfections were my fault. You can see a better view of it here.

The first cake tasted pretty good and looked great. And since birthday cakes are all about looks anyway, it was definitely a success.

The second cake was a little rustic.

The man I am married to said, "Yeah, just keep telling yourself that." He thought I was making excuses for the peace symbol shaped cracks that nearly split it in half, or thirds, or whatever. I'm not splitting hairs, just cakes. Or, maybe he just thought he was being funny.

I said, "Uh, no. It's rustic because I made it in a cast iron skillet." I may or may not have rolled my eyes.

It's officially rustic because PW said so. It's her recipe, sorta. I cheated and used a cake mix on that one too. Don't judge. I finished two cakes in, like, a very short but reasonable period of time.


That cake, well, lets just say that I'll be invited to places because of that cake. Okay, probably not, but a bunch of people asked for the recipe. There are no pictures. I forgot to get one because we were in a huge hurry, as in, I took it out of the oven less than ten minutes before we walked out the door. Not something I advise, but if you ever need to rush out the door and sit with a 300 degree cake in your lap for 45 minutes, that would be the one.

I didn't though. I just covered it loosely with foil. It looked like a silver volcano science experiment.  Then, I stuck it in a clothes basket with a big towel for a hot pad. It was 100 degrees out. Way too hot to be holding a 300 degree cake in my lap.

Anyway, as I was saying, there are no pictures. When I finally had time to take pictures there was no cake. I didn't even have to force people to take some of the leftovers. I'm telling you, this may be the best cake I've ever eaten. And I know because PW said so.

I'm not just going to keep going on and on about it without giving you something for reading this far. Yep, I had to make another one. Shoot!

My pictures didn't really turn out to be step by step photos. I have a whole new level of respect for people who do that. I get to cooking and forget that I'm supposed to be documenting. But maybe they will help.

For the apple topping you will need:

5-6 firm, tart apples (I used Winesap)
1-1/3 sticks of butter
3/4 cup of granulated sugar

For the cake batter you will need:

1 butter recipe cake mix (I used Betty Crocker)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs
3/4 cup water
2/3 stick butter
1 apple cored and peeled



Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375F.

Step 2: Prepare the buttery apple goodness. Peel and core the apples. Then, Slice them 1/2 inch thick.

Melt 1-1/3 sticks of the butter (That equals 2/3 of a cup of butter in case you ever need to know) in your favorite 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Another kind of skillet might work but I wouldn't recommend non-stick.

Stir the sugar in until it's mixed in there pretty good. Start laying the apples in.

This is when your kitchen starts to smell like you are making something delicious.

I put them in a pretty pattern, but they will move around a little as they are cooking so I didn't stress too much when I dropped a couple in the wrong direction. It's a rustic cake.

Yes, that is my cast iron skillet. And I do indeed own a glass top stove. I cook with no fear. Nobody lives forever.

While your apples and sugar are making your kitchen really smell nice you need to start the cake batter. Just keep an eye on it and turn the heat down if it starts to brown too quickly.

Step 3: Ignore the directions on the box of cake mix.

Step 4: Pour the mix into a large bowl and add the cinnamon and nutmeg. This is where I turn the mixer on low for a few seconds to mix up the dry ingredients. On low. Please don't turn it to high.

Then add 3/4 cup of water, 3 eggs and softened butter. Don't leave the butter sitting all by it's lonely self in the microwave. Mix on low  until everything is moist. Then, beat for two minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go.

Step 5: Fold in the chopped apples.

By this time your apples in the skillet should look something like this.

It is around this point that your whole house starts smelling divine. You may notice people starting to come through the kitchen to "get a drink" or "because they couldn't find you".

Step 6: Spoon the batter into your skillet of buttery apple goodness. Resist the temptation to start dumping the cake batter right into the middle of your apples.The trick here is to spoon it gently on top of the apples. Start along the outside and work your way to the middle. This will help the apples to stay in place and help to keep all that loveliness from pouring over the sides of your skillet and onto the stove top.

You are now free to lick the spoon that you used to keep the apples in place and rejoice in the thought that that glorious mellifluence will soon be on top of your cake.

Step 7: Bake at 375F for 20 minutes. Test for doneness with a toothpick. It should come out clean. Or gently press one finger onto the top of the cake near the center. If the fingerprint springs back it is done. If the cake is still a bit jiggly gently lay a piece of foil over the top and turn the oven down to 325F. Cook an additional 5-10 minutes.

I'm not sure why it looks a little like a deflated football. But it doesn't really matter because that's not going to show. Also, I can't believe I am showing you the inside of my oven. Thankfully, the sheet of foil is covering up the mess from where the last one bubbled over the sides a tad. Got it? Foil catch sheet. Good.

Step 8: Let the cake cool in the skillet for 5 minutes. I took a picture of that too, but it's kind of boring. And plus, you are having to wait an excruciatingly long time to taste this amazing creation. It just wouldn't be humane. Ease the pain by licking the beaters and the bowl. It helps.

By now you probably have people buzzing around your kitchen like flies. Swat them if they try to sneak tastes of that crispy edge. Really. Make them wait.

Step 9: Invert on to a pretty cake plate, or the only thing you can find big enough to hold a 12-inch cake, like a Christmas platter. Who cares if it's only September? Besides, this cake will make you forget your name let alone what time of year it is.

Step 10: Eat it. One. Delicious. Bite. At. A. Time.  It is best served warm with a scoop of ice cream and a cup of hot coffee.

Apple Upside-Down Cake



5-6 firm, tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/2" thick wedges
1-1/3 sticks of butter
3/4 cup of granulated sugar

1 butter recipe cake mix (I used Betty Crocker)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs
3/4 cup water
2/3 cup butter
1 apple cored, peeled and chopped


Preheat oven to 375F. Melt butter over medium heat in a cast iron skillet. Add sugar and mix well. Lay apples into butter and sugar mixture. Lower heat if necessary to prevent burning, but allow it to caramelize. Mix cake mix, cinnamon, nutmeg, eggs, water and butter on low until moistened. Then beat for 2 minutes until smooth. Fold in chopped apple. Spoon batter on top of apple/butter mixture working from the outside edge of the skillet toward the center. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes. If necessary, turn oven down to 325F and lay a piece of foil gently over the top to prevent over browning and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.



Love y'all!

Amber


P.S. I really wanted to name this the Apple Bottoms Up, Knock Your Furry Boots Off Cake, but I didn't. I'm a pretty traditional sort of girl and that song is old anyway.

Gluten-Free Cornbread

Admittedly, the decision to eliminate wheat products from my diet was made light-heartedly. I really didn't expect to notice a big difference. I mean, I had tried many different things over the years; nothing had ever worked. But, just as I do most things in life, I plunged into this little experiment with my usual lack of forethought. However, I did learn from doing that, that it isn't as difficult to eat good food as my pity for others on a 'restricted' diet had led me to believe. It was with a little disappointment mixed in that I had to admit that wheat does seem to have an effect on me. I love food and that includes pizza, all kinds of pasta, deli sandwiches, Sonic onion rings, biscuits and gravy, and fried chicken.

As I stretched my brain around what I could make, I realized that the food I grew up on is largely free of wheat products. Greens, fresh and canned garden produce, beans and peas.  Traditionally, my mother made her cornbread with a little flour. After some research and one recipe that was decidedly not successful (we ate it anyway) I gulped and flew in the face of traditionalism and substituted rice flour for the wheat flour. And, Voila! Her exact recipe, only without gluten, or wheat. It bakes up lovely golden crisp on the outside, steamin' hot that soaks that butter and sorghum right up. Or bean juice or chili, as the case may be. So here is the recipe. I'm quite satisfied with it, but that doesn't mean that I'll quit tweaking since I've probably never made a recipe exactly the same twice in my whole life.

Please note that this is not a sweet cornbread. If you want your cornbread sweet, pour some sorghum molasses right out of the jar on top of a big fat slice with the pat of butter just melting and oozing into the cracks.

Gluten-Free Cornbread

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup white rice flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
Enough milk to make the wet ingredients equal 1 cup

Preheat your oven to 400 deg F before you start mixing up your ingredients. I usually remember to preheat about halfway through the egg/milk step and I end up frying my cornbread on the top of the stove for a few minutes while my oven preheats. It doesn't seem to ruin it, so I guess I'll continue to be in that habit since there is no negative feedback to train my brain otherwise. Drizzle about a teaspoon of oil into an 8-inch cast iron skillet and swirl around to coat. Heat the oil on the burner of your stove. This will give the cornbread it's wonderful crispy crust.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

Pour your egg into a measuring cup and add the milk until it equals 1 cup. I measure my liquids this way because sometimes eggs are larger or smaller than others. In my mind, this will make the finished product more consistent. I don't know why I go to these lengths, it probably won't matter if your cornbread does turn out a little dry once you pour half a cup of chili over the top of it.

Mix your egg and milk mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring until everything is moist. I like to use one of those spoonulas. Pour the batter into the skillet. Your oil should be pretty hot by this time so be careful. It will sizzle and could pop a little when it hits the hot grease. Now, if you forget to scrape the bottom of the mixing bowl and notice some dry cornmeal when you are pouring it into the skillet, don't panic! Just get a fork or a little spoon and gently mix it before you put it in the oven.

That's the next step. Put it in the oven. Bake it for about 20 minutes or until it's your favorite shade of golden brown on top. I guess you can check to see if a toothpick comes out clean, but you'll know when its done. I rarely set my timer for cornbread. I can always tell it's nearly done by the smell. Then, I just stay in the kitchen getting everything else ready while I wait for the top to brown.