This apple gingerbread cream cake is a cross between an apple tarte tatin and a gingerbread. With a caramel apple topping and spiced molasses cake, what’s not to love?
Did you go apple picking this fall? Are you still up to your elbows in apples? If so, then this is the dessert for you. It’s a perfect blend of fall and winter. It’s essentially a combination of an apple tarte tatin and a gingerbread cake.
You start off by caramelizing the sugar and layering your apples on top. Then you add a spiced molasses gingerbread cake and infuse it with some cream. Are you drooling yet? Because if not, I am.
I am not surprised by how quickly we devoured this cake. The cake was dense yet soft and bursting with gingerbread spices. The caramel and apples added some additional sweetness and texture to this already-amazing cake.
So if you’re looking for a new twist on a traditional tarte tatin or simply want to be able to marry two seasonal fall flavors together, bake this cake. As an added bonus, it will make your house smell like the holidays.
Apple gingerbread cream cake
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons plus 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
- 1 cup light brown sugar divided
- 1 pound apples cored, seeded, peeled and sliced thinly, divided
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup dark molasses
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup please do not use the imitation kind
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Generously butter the sides and bottom of a 10" springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a piece of parchment paper and butter that too. Set aside.
- In a medium sized saucepan, heat 1 Tablespoon of the butter with 1/2 cup of the brown sugar and 2 Tablespoons of water over medium heat. Stir constantly until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring and allow the mixture to slowly caramelize. Continue to swirl the pan until large bubbles slowly form and caramel starts to turn amber. Pour the caramel into the bottom of your pan and make sure it evenly coats the bottom.
- In the same saucepan, melt 1 Tablespoon of butter. Add half of the sliced apples and cook over medium heat until the apples start to turn translucent, about 4 minutes. Transfer the cooked apples to a bowl and allow to cool slightly. Repeat the process with the remaining apples. Once the apples have cooled enough to handle, arrange them on the bottom of your pan on top of the caramel.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
- In a medium-sized microwave safe bowl, melt the stick of butter. Add in the molasses, maple syrup and remaining 1/2 cup of brown sugar until well blended. Add in the eggs and ginger until everything is well combined.
- Measure out 1/4 cup of hot water in a measuring cup. Add in the 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda and mix until it is fully dissolved. Add this to the molasses mixture and mix well.
- Transfer the molasses mixture to the large bowl with the dry ingredients. Combine all ingredients together. Pour the batter into the springform pan over the apples. Shake the pan so the batter is even. Gently and slowly drizzle the 1/2 cup of cream on top of the batter, ensuring to cover as much of the batter as you can.
- Bake the cake in your preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to chill for at least 15 minutes. Unmold the sides of the cake and invert onto a plate or can pan. Slow peel the parchment layer off (the apples might stick, so be careful). Allow the cake to cool completely before serving.