How to make the best caramel apple upside down cake recipe (2024)

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Last Modified: Mar 2, 2024 by Tara Gerner Leave a Comment

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How to make the best easy caramel apple upside down cake. This simple recipe uses a box cake mix with apples, cinnamon, butter, and brown sugar to make a gooey, rich, moist dessert.

How to make the best caramel apple upside down cake recipe (1)

Recently, I was hungry for a pineapple upside down cake and bought the ingredients to make one. Allie, always my little baker, said to me after we put it in the oven, "You know, I don't like pineapple."

It was like she punched me. I couldn't believe she didn't like pineapple, and I was sorry that she went to all the work to make the cake and wouldn't get any of the reward of eating it.

Fortunately for both of us, she tried a piece when it came out of the oven, and she said, "Can we put pineapple on every cake we make? I love it!"

I was thinking of this exchange, and this cake, when I made the one below.

Pineapple upside down cake is still my personal favorite, but Joe loves any dessert with apples, especially our favorite apple crisp and apple pie. His mother passed away very recently, and I was wanting to do something extra nice for him, so I came up with this apple pie upside down cake.

I used Granny Smith apples for this cake because I think they're the best to bake with. They are firm apples and tart which makes them cook up sweet and juicy. I don't know why, but anytime you bake a tart fruit, it comes out sweet and nice. Sweeter apples don't cook up as well. Don't ask me questions about this. It's just the way it is.

If you're at the farmer's market and looking at apples, feel free to use any that are labeled for baking. Farmers know more than I do about apples.

How to make the best caramel apple upside down cake

Preheat the oven to 350º.
Peel, core, and slice the apples into ½" slices or rings.
Melt the butter in a 12" oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar and cinnamon and stir until a thick paste is formed.
Add the apple slices and stir frequently for about 10 minutes, until the apples have started to soften and caramelize. Sprinkle with chopped pecans (if using) and remove from heat. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, apple juice, eggs, and oil until well blended. Pour over apples in skillet.
Place the entire skillet in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the skillet for 5 to 10 minutes on a cooling rack or on the stovetop. Holding a large platter or plate tightly over the skillet, turn the cake over. Slight jiggling may be required, but the cake should fall out of the skillet pretty easily.
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Try these other delectable dessert recipes:

The Best Pineapple Upside Down Cake Recipe
Not Quite Homemade Chocolate Caramel Cake from a Box Mix
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownies (AKA PB Cream Cheese Brownie Bars)
Chocolate Cherry Cake - Easy Black Forest Cake
The Best Cherry Almond Cake

Try these other delicious apple recipes:

Super Stuffed Baked Apples
Apple Ring Pancakes
Baked Apple Pecan Pancakes
The Best Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake
Nana's Best Classic Apple Cake Recipe
Baked Apple Pecan Pancakes
Pampered Chef Apple Crisp with Cake Mix - This is my favorite apple crisp, but the others below are also tasty.
Easy Apple Crisp
Crunchy Apple Crisp
Apple Crisp with Oats
Wormy Apple Snack - These are super cute snacks that kids LOVE!
Copycat Cracker Barrel Fried Apples
How to Make Applesauce in the CrockPot
Homemade Apple Butter on the Stove or in the CrockPot

Recipe

The Best Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

How to make the best easy caramel apple upside down cake. This simple recipe uses a box cake mix with apples, cinnamon, butter, and brown sugar to make a gooey, rich, moist dessert.

4.60 from 10 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Ingredients

¾ cups butter
1 ¼ cups brown sugar packed
2 teaspoons cinnamon
10 Granny Smith apples
¾ cups chopped pecans optional
1 box yellow cake mix
1 ⅓ cups apple juice
3 eggs
¼ cups vegetable oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350º.
Peel, core, and slice the apples into ½" slices.
Melt the butter in a 12" inch oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, stir until a thick paste is formed. Add apple slices. Stir frequently for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped pecans if using. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, apple juice, eggs, and oil until smooth and well blended. Pour over the apples in the skillet.
Place entire skillet in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Allow to cool on a cooling rack or the stove top for 5-10 minutes. Hold a large platter or plate over the skillet. Holding the platter tightly against the skillet, turn the cake over. Slight jiggling may be required, but the cake will fall out onto the platter.

Notes

This cake is baked in a large skillet. You'll need one that is oven-safe up to at least 350. I like to use my 12" stainless steel skillet, but you could also usea 12" cast iron skillet.

I slice the apples for this recipe, but if you wanted it to look more like a pineapple upside down cake, you could cut the apples into rings.

Nutrition

Keyword apple

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