Apple Olive Oil Cake

For holidays, good days, and days that can be made better with a little cake, this upside-down apple cake starts with a few key steps and emerges from the oven as shiny, moist, and just-sweet-enough glory. The cake is beautiful and tastes as good as it looks.

Author

Helen Park adapted from Lior Lev Sercarz, “Spiced Honey Cake”

Servings

8

Category

Sweet

Ingredients

• 2 extra large eggs
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup pomegranate juice
• ½ cup olive oil
• ¾ cup silan
• Juice of 1 orange + zest
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1Tbsp Reims blend
• ½ cup sugar + ¼ cup water
• ½ tsp Reims blend
• 2 Fuji apples
• 9”x 2” cake pan
• 9” circle of parchment
• Nonstick cooking spray

Directions

1. Prepare the cake pan by spraying with nonstick spray. Then place the circle of parchment in the bottom of the pan and spray again.
2. Peel the apples and cut them into 8 equal wedges each. Laying each wedge on its side, trim the seeds out with a straight cut to make a flat edge.
3. Toss the apples in Reims and arrange them evenly in the bottom of the pan, all facing the same way, with 2 apples in the center. There may be an extra apple wedge. The wedges should be about ¼” in from touching the cake pan and not touching each other.
4. In a small heavy bottom pan, cook the sugar and ¼ cup water until it reaches an amber caramel.
5. Remove from heat and pour evenly directly into the prepared cake pan with apples.
6. Cream the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl or in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat for 3-4 minutes or until noticeably lighter in color and texture.
7. Mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl and preheat oven to 350°F.
8. Add the pomegranate juice, olive oil, silan, orange juice and zest to the eggs and sugar and stir well to combine.
9. Gently incorporate the dry ingredients, mixing until it just comes together, a few lumps are ok.
10. Pour the batter over the apples and caramel and bake for 30-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
11. Remove to a rack to cool until the cake pan has cooled down enough to handle.
12. Lay a 10” flat plate or cake platter centered on top of the cake.
13. Holding the cake pan and plate securely, flip the cake and plate over and set the cake down.
14. Remove the cake pan to unmold the upside-down cake.
15. Carefully peel back the parchment paper, peeling horizontally, to reveal the shiny apples and delicious spiced cake.