Apple Upside-Down Cake

This month Cooking Light featured apple recipes.  Well, I can tell that I was a happy person.  For the last month I have received a huge bag of apples in my CSA box and there is just so many that I can eat for lunch or a snack.  This Apple Upside- Down Cake caught my eye for more reasons than one.  A one layer cake is great for serving to four people.  Then you have no leftovers to eat when your company leaves.  Remember I still have five pounds to get rid of.  It is a gorgeous cake!  It is a light cake with a lot of flavor.  And it is pretty easy to make.
Here’s the step by step:
Prepare the topping which is sugar and  water in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves about 3 minutes.  Continue to cook until golden  for 4 minutes.  Do not stir.  Here’s where I got impatient.  After 6 minutes I took mine off the heat.  Be patient and wait until it turns a golden color.  It will not hurt the flavor, but the color will not be as beautiful.  Immediately pour the sauce in a greased round cake pan.  I used parchment paper in the bottom of mine. 
You need three cups of baking apples such as Pink Lady, Rome, Honeycrisp,  or Spartan 1/4 in. thick  slices that have been peeled.  Arrange them in a concentric circles in the pan over the warm caramel.  Sprinkle with 1/4 cup walnuts.
Combine the sugar and butter in a large bowl.  Beat with a mixer until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks and vanilla.
 Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add flour mixture and milk alternately to sugar mixture beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Mix after each addition.

Place egg whites is a clean bowl.  Do not use a plastic bowl.  It will hold grease and your egg whites will not beat.  Beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold egg whites into batter.  Spread batter over apples and bake 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Loosen edges of cake with a knife and invert onto a serving plate.

Serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream.
Apple Upside-Down Cake from Cooking Light
Topping

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 cups (1/4 inch-thick) slices peeled Rome apples ( about 2 large)
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Cake:

• 1 1/3 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoon butter, softened
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 3 large egg whites

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  coat a 9 inch round cake pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.
2. Prepare topping.  combine 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup of water in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high  heat:  cook until sugar dissolves, stirring gently as needed to dissolve sugar evenly ( about 3 minutes).  Continue cooking for 4 or more minutes or until golden (do not stir).  Immediately pour into prepared cake pan,tipping quickly to coat bottom of pan.   Arrange apple slices in concentric circles in pan over the warm caramel.  Sprinkle with nuts: set aside.
3. To prepare cake combine flour, baking powder, and salt: stir with a whisk.
4. Combine 2/3 cup of sugar and butter in a large bowl: beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks and vanilla to sugar mixture: beat until combines.  Add flour mixture and milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture: mix after each addition. 
5. Place egg whites in a large, clean bowl.  Beat egg whites with mixer at a high speed until stiff peaks form using clean, dry beaters.  Gently fold egg whites into batter.  Spread batter over apples.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack int pan for 5 minutes.  Loosen edges of cake with a knife: invert cake onto a serving plate.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Dollop with whipped cream.