Cinnamon Apple Upside Down Cake

Saturday night, my sweetheart and I were browsing through the "Best of Taste of Home 2011" Magazine I just picked up the other day. Yes, I have officially become a recipe junky I think.  Anyway, we were talking about what he wanted for Father's day dessert.  We came across a pineapple upside down cake recipe.  It was a toss up between that and something with cinnamon and apples in it.  Then he came up with the brilliant idea... A Cinnamon Apple Upside Down Cake!  Genius!!! 

So I grabbed their recipe and tweaked it quite a bit to make my own.  I've never even heard of something like this, so I just gave it a try and prayed it would turn out!  It was simply delicious!  I was so worried I would ruin this meal, because in this stage of my pregnancy... I'm messing all kinds of stuff up! Burning things, spilling things all over the place, and adding too much of this or that, is a frequent occurrence these days. I was so excited that it turned out perfectly!

I turned it into a spice cake of sorts, so that is why it's so dark. It has a nice strong cinnamon flavor. You can use less cinnamon if you like. But we thought it was perfect!

Cinnamon Apple Upside Down Cake

1/3 cup butter melted

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1-2 apples peeled, cored and sliced (I used granny smith)

3 eggs separated

1 cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup apple sauce

1 1/2 - 2 tbsp cinnamon (I used 2)

1/3 cup apple juice

In a 9x9 ungreased baking pan, combine melted butter and brown sugar.  Whisk to paste and spread across the whole bottom of the pan.  Arrange 9 apple slices in a single layer over the sugar mixture.

In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored.  Gradually add sugar, beating well.  Add in apple juice.  Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add to the batter.  Beat well. Fold in applesauce.

In a small bowl, beat egg whites on high until stiff peaks form.  Fold eggs into the batter. Pour evenly into the pan (over the apples)

Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes or until cooked through.  (insert a toothpick into the center, if it comes out clean, it's done.) Let stand for 10 minutes. Slide a spatula or a knife around the edge of the pan, to loosen any pieces that may be stuck to the sides. Place a large plate over the top of the pan, holding both the pan and the plate, gently flip over. The cake should slide out easily onto the plate.  Enjoy!