Bring On Fall…And Apples

By: Sarah

 

Am happy, am so happy, the next season is about here. But I still keep hearing, September is still summer. Last checked, Fall 2026 begins with the astronomical autumn equinox on September 22 at 7 PM CDT…but the Meteorological Fall is from September 1 to November 20, 2026. There you have it. I can safely say goodbye to summer and celebrate all things wonderful and fabulous about the Fall Season. We enjoy seeing the leaves changing into shades of red, orange or gold, going out to comfortable weather, and wearing light jackets and warm clothes. I love Fall because it is baking season again and the return of soup season. My Fall Favorites: Home baked Cinnamon Rolls, Pumpkin and Pecan Pies, Fresh Apple Pies and Hearty favorite soups: Zuppa Toscana with sausage, Mexican Chicken Tortilla Soup, Creamy and Rich Butternut Squash Soup …these are my ultimate comfort food.
Apples are specially great during the Fall Season, begging to be transformed into irresistible sweet treats. There’s apple muffins, caramel apples, Classic American apple pies, Apple Cinnamon Rolls, to name a few. Even for snacking on alone…tangy Granny Smith apples with caramel sauce or dip, heaven! Enter ground Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Ginger, these warming spices smell just like fall, inviting and make you want for more.
Let’s start baking with apples, let’s give it a name, Caramel Apple Pecan Upside Down Cake. It’s perfect for fall, easy (the hardest part of this recipe is peeling the apples, if that’s your choice; but there’s a kitchen gadget available for that task), loaded with tender bites of apple. The batter is simple, foolproof and straight-forward. There is no need for frosting on this apple cake, once cake is flipped over, the caramelized goodness decorate the top of the cake. And no advanced baking skills and special equipment required. This cake satisfies both the beginner and the seasoned bakers. The flavor of the caramelized apple will impress all your friends and family. Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and caramel sauce. Pair with Pumpkin Spice Latte, now on return engagement at Starbucks, oh yes.
Dry ingredients include flour, baking powder and baking soda for leaveners, salt (flavor enhancer), ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and ground ginger.
• Unsalted Butter – give the cake that soft, tender crumbs
• Sugar – mixture of granulated sugar to sweeten the cake batter and light brown sugar to create that caramel rich topping
• Honey – adds natural moisture, golden color
• Vanilla – adds and balances flavor.
• Apple – I like using
Honeycrisp for baking for its inherent honeyed sweetness, firmness holding up in baking, Simple way to prevent cut apples from oxidizing: toss apples with about 1 1/2 tablespoons
lemon juice
• Eggs – fresh large eggs to bind the ingredients together
• Sour cream – boosts leavening, adds moisture and tenders the crumb
• Apple juice – natural fruit flavor sweetness
• All purpose flour – provide structure to the cake
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda – provide lift and rise as cake bakes.
• Pecans – toast pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 350 F for
10 minutes, stirring halfway through; always toast raw nuts to unlock their rich, buttery oils.
CARAMEL APPLE PECAN
UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
Serve as it is, or top slices with vanilla ice cream, dollop of whipped cream and drizzle with caramel sauce. This will be your fall favorite — soft not-too-sweet sponge cake, firm caramel apple bites and crunchy pecans
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Baking Time: 45- 55 minutes Yield: 9 inch cake
Caramel Apple Pecan Layer:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans or
pecan halves
2 Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored and sliced into wedges, about 1/4 inch
Cake:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup apple juice
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
1 Honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored and diced
Instructions:
Grease a round 9-inch baking pan with a baking nonstick spray. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan, and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, for an easy release of the cake after baking. Preheat oven to 350 F.
Make the Caramel:
In a saucepan, place butter, brown sugar, ground cinnamon and salt. Cook over medium heat until butter is melted, sugar is dissolved, it will be a bit grainy, for about 3 minutes. Pour into the prepared pan and evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle pecans on top of caramel. Place the apple wedges in a circular pattern over the caramel and pecans.
Make the Cake Batter:
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and ground ginger. Set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and honey on medium speed until fluffy and creamy, scraping bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the sour cream and apple juice, and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Fold in chopped pecans and peeled diced apple. Spoon batter carefully over apples and smooth the top.
Bake and Serve:
Bake cake until top is nicely browned, about 50 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester or skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer to wire rack and let cake stand about 15 minutes. Invert it onto a serving plate. Remove the parchment paper. Serve cake slices warm or at room temperature. Store the leftover cake in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator 4-5 days. Let the cake come to room temperature
before serving or heat slices up in the microwave for 15 seconds.
Got more apples…make some Apple Pie Filling for your next pie or cinnamon roll project.
THE BEST APPLE PIE FILLING
This is quick— it’s time to ditch the Canned Filling
Ingredients
8-10 apples, peered, cored, and sliced in wedges or chunks
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 and 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add all of the remaining filling ingredients except for the cream. Cook the filling until it thickens and the apples are fork tender. Remove from the heat and add the heavy cream. Mix and set aside to cool completely. Store in an airtight container and in the refrigerator
for up to 2 weeks.The filling can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Thin it out if needed with splash of apple juice.
Get your oven ready for next issue’s autumn baking with a classic pair of seasonal favorites:
pecan pie and pumpkin pie. All
simple and easy recipes to fall in love with! Happy Baking!