Instructions

1. Line a cake tin (23–25 cm diameter) thoroughly with baking parchment on both the bottom and sides.
2. Melt the butter and muscovado sugar in a saucepan and let it simmer for 2–3 minutes. Pour the mixture into the bottom of the tin.
3. Core the apples, slice them, and arrange them in circles over the caramel.
4. Preheat the oven to 175°C conventional heat.
5. Melt the butter and set aside.
6. Whisk the eggs and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 7–8 minutes.
7. Sift in the flour and gently fold in the melted butter. Be careful not to knock out too much air from the batter.
8. Pour the batter over the apples and bake on the lower rack of the oven for 35–40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
9. Let the cake rest for 5 minutes. Place a serving plate on top of the tin and carefully flip the whole thing over. Gently remove the tin.
10. Let the cake cool until slightly warm and serve with lightly whipped cream.

Tips for baking an upside-down cake

• Use a cake tin with a fixed base. This works best because caramel can leak from a springform tin. If you're using a springform tin, wrap the outside with aluminium foil to catch any leaks.
• Let the cake rest for about 5 minutes before turning it out. Too early and the caramel may run off. Too long and it can set and stick to the tin.
• Arrange the fruit closely together. It shrinks during baking, and a slightly overlapping pattern looks especially nice.
• Avoid fruit that releases too much liquid. Excess juice can affect both the texture and appearance of your cake.
• Grease the tin well and line it with baking parchment. Cover both the bottom and sides to make turning out the cake easier.