Caramelized Apple & Pumpkin Upside Down Cake

So I guess it’s now autumn and we have to say goodbye to summer (although you wouldn’t know it from today’s 91 degree weather)! With autumn comes some really great things… Pumpkin spice lattes, warm apple pies, spiced cider, Halloween candy… but I would say the fall flavors that I most look forward to are apple and pumpkin.

This is my autumn/fall take on a pineapple upside-down cake… a Caramelized Apple & Pumpkin Upside-down cake. First you caramelize the apple with butter, brown sugar, and spices in a 10 inch cast iron skillet. (My favorite is the economical 10″ Lodge cast iron skillet.) Then, you pour the pumpkin cake batter over the apples and bake until done. Flip over onto a serving platter, and voila… the perfect warm fall dessert that pairs nicely with vanilla ice cream!

(If you don’t have a 10″ cast iron skillet, you can cook the apples on the stove-top in a frying pan, then transfer to a 9″ round cake pan to finish baking.)

Caramelized Apple & Pumpkin Upside Down Cake:

Use a 10" cast iron skillet to make this cake for best results... it can go stovetop to oven!

Caramelized Apple Topping:

2 apples
1/3 c. dark brown sugar
1/4 c. unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Pumpkin Cake batter:

1 1/3 c. all purpose flour
2/3 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla
2/3 c. pumpkin puree
2/3 c. milk
1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted
1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and slice 2 apples into wedges.

2. Melt 1/4 c. unsalted butter in a 10″ cast iron skillet over medium heat. (If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, then cook the apples in a regular skillet or frying pan, then transfer into a 9″ round cake pan before step 7.)

3. Saute the apples in the melted butter, mix in the brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Continue to cook until the apples are caramelized to your liking (for me about 5-10 minutes). Turn off the heat, then set aside.

4. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in a mixing bowl.

5. Mix the pumpkin puree, vanilla, milk, melted butter, and egg.

6. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture, and stir until combined.

7. Pour the pumpkin cake batter over the caramelized apples in the cast iron pan. Use a spatula to evenly spread the batter over the top of the apples. The batter will be a little thick.