Apple & Bourbon Gingerbread Upside-Down Cake

A Warm Spiced Dessert

The combination of tart apples and deep molasses creates a dessert that feels inherently tied to the colder months. This cake flips the traditional gingerbread on its head by baking it over a bed of bourbon kissed apples. The rich batter, spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and cloves bakes into a tender crumb that absorbs the sweet juices of the fruit below.

Preparing the molasses and water mixture first allows it to cool and interact properly with the baking soda, creating a light and airy texture in the final bake. Serving this cake warm with a dollop of whipped cream offers a comforting end to any meal, filling the kitchen with the scent of baked apples and warm spices.

Yield: 12 servings | Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 51 minutes | Temperature: 350°F

• 1 Cup dark molasses
• 1 Cup water
• 1 Teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 Cup butter
• 2 Large eggs
• 2 Cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 2 Teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 Teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/4 Teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 Tablespoons butter or margarine
• 6 Cups peeled and sliced tart apples (about 2 lb.)
• 1/4 Cup sugar
• 1/4 Cup bourbon or apple juice
• Whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

• Boil the dark molasses and water in a 2-quart pan.
• Stir in the baking soda and let the mixture cool.
• Beat the brown sugar and 1/2 cup of butter in a large bowl until smoothly mixed.
• Blend in the eggs and beat until well combined.
• Mix the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground cloves together.
• Stir the flour mixture and the cooled molasses mixture alternately into the sugar and butter, adding half at a time, until everything is well mixed.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat.
• Saute the sliced apples in the butter, turning often with a spatula until they are just tender when pierced, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the sugar and bourbon, then cook until the liquid evaporates and the apples begin to brown, about 6 minutes.
• Spoon the cooked apples into a well-buttered 9 by 13-inch baking pan.
• Pour the gingerbread batter evenly over the top of the apples.
• Bake in a 350°F oven until the cake starts to pull away from the pan sides and the center springs back when lightly pressed, about 40 minutes.
• Run a knife around the edges of the pan and carefully invert the cake onto a platter.
• Serve warm or cold with a dollop of whipped cream.

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