Apple Honey Upside-Down Cake

Dairy free, paleo apple honey upside-down cake is perfect for cool fall days.

Subtly spiced and not too sweet, it's great for breakfast or dessert!

The tradition of dipping apples in honey to celebrate Rosh Hashanah inspired me to bake this apple honey upside-down cake. Apples and honey represent the double dose of sweetness that's hoped for in the year ahead. I didn't get this post ready in time to share before the holiday, but this cake is an ideal dessert for anytime in the fall. Whether or not you celebrate Rosh Hashanah, everyone can use a little extra hint of sweetness as the air turns crisp and the nights begin to fall sooner.

I based this recipe on my lemon olive oil cake, which is a dessert I've made again and again for all sorts of occasions. This apple honey upside-down cake is the perfect fall twist on my go-to cake.

To make this cake, I poured copious amounts of honey into the bottom of a parchment-lined pan, and then arranged apple slices on top. Since the apples and honey are so sweet, I only used a tiny bit of sweetener in the cake batter itself, and included a few hints of savory flavors to balance things out. Using extra virgin olive oil instead of butter makes the cake dairy free and provides a complexity that keeps the cake from being pure, unadulterated sweetness. And ginger and cardamom, spices that play on both the sweet and savory teams, are a welcome change from the usual cinnamon.

As I'm writing this post, I'm pretty mad that the cake pictured here is gone. It's just taunting me through the screen! I still have all the ingredients, though, so I might make this again today. The combination of honeyed apples and gently spiced, not-to-sweet cake is hard to forget about.

What are your weekend plans? Hope you find time for something sweet (but not too sweet!).

Apple Honey Upside-Down Cake
Yield: 8 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 medium apple, cored and sliced (I used a Gala)
1/2 cup honey
2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
3 tablespoons raw sugar or coconut sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch springform pan with tinfoil and grease the foil lightly with olive oil. Pour the honey into the bottom of the pan and arrange the apple slices in a single layer on top. If there are any apple slices that don't fit, eat them!

Whisk together the almond flour, tapioca flour, sugar, spices, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, vanilla, and eggs in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Scrape the batter into the pan, using a spatula to gently spread it out until it reaches the edges, taking care not to disturb the apples too much. Place the pan on a baking sheet for ease of transport. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean or with only a few small crumbs attached. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the sides of the pan. Put a plate face down on top of the cake, carefully flip the cake and plate over, and remove the bottom of the pan and the foil. Cut into 8 slices and serve warm or at room temperature.

Many of the ingredients used in this recipe are available at reduced prices from Thrive Market, a membership site with a huge selection of paleo ingredients. I believe a Thrive Market membership pays for itself in savings in a very short amount of time, and they also donate a membership to a family in need for every new paid member. I'm a member and an affiliate because I love what they offer and believe in their mission to make healthy food accessible and affordable for everyone. Learn more here!

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