New England Fun and Cooking Adventures: Apple Cinnamon Upside Down Cake Recipe

I have lived in New England all my life, yet often I get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that I dont make as much time as I would prefer to soak in and enjoy the changing seasons and what makes New England so special.  Thus, this year I have made an effort to do more seasonal activities as well as another goal to also learn to cook more.  I hope to share in my adventures of both New Englandy fun as well as my meager attempts to learn to cook!  I'm no foodie, but I'm happy to share some of the things I have enjoyed and liked along the way!

Autumn is my favorite season, with the crispy cool air, red-orange-yellow foliage, the crunch of fallen leaves, and apple and pumpkin flavored goodies (e.g., pumpkin spice latte, cider donuts, caramel apples, etc), mmmm.  The other weekend we decided to go apple-picking for a triple couples date outing.  We also planned a 3-course meal, making 5 dishs, all using apples!  I will include a more detailed post on that adventure later, but I still had plenty of leftover apples, so I continue to hunt for good recipes using apples!  The other day we went to a potluck, so I searched around for more desserts using apples, that wasnt apple crisp or apple pie.  My hubby and I experimented with an Apple-Cinnamon Upside Down Cake, and it turned out to be quite tasty!  It still has the autumnal flavors of apple crisp and apple pie with a slightly different texture for those looking for something familiar but new.

This is the recipe we ended up using from About.com :

Ingredients:

• 3 large golden delicious apples
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 scant teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons melted butter
• .
• Cake
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, stirred before measuring
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup milk

Preparation:

Heat oven to 325°. Butter a 9-inch square cake pan or spray with baking spray. Core the apples and cut into wedges; peel and slice thinly. Combine apple slices with the brown sugar, 1 scant teaspoon of cinnamon, and 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Arrange the apple mixture in the prepared baking pan.

Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl. In a large mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture to the first mixture, alternating with the milk, beating just until blended. Spoon the batter evenly over the apple slices; gently spreading to cover. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Invert the hot cake onto a platter or cake plate and let stand for about 5 minutes. Remove the pan and scrape up any fruit slices clinging to the pan and arrange them over the cake.