Caramel Apple Upside-Down Cake

8 servings, about 90 minutes. A fall cake with apples caramelized on the stove, then baked under a cinnamon batter and turned out glossy side up.

Before you start

Quantity	Ingredient	Method
	oven	Heat to 180 °C.
	pan	Use a 24–26 cm ovenproof skillet or low braiser. Grease the bottom and sides generously.
4	firm tart apples (about 600 g; Cosmic Crisp, Braeburn, Pink Lady)	Peel, core and cut each into 8 wedges. If the rings look gappy later, cut a fifth apple.

Quantity	Ingredient	Method
100 g	sugar	Heat in the pan over medium heat without stirring; swirl until deep amber, 5–8 min.
2 tbsp	water	↑
30 g	dairy-free butter	Off the heat, stir in. It will bubble up.
¼ tsp	salt	↑
	apple wedges	Back on medium heat, cook about 6 min, turning once, until the edges are golden and the juices have reduced to a syrup. Off the heat, arrange snugly in rings, rounded side down.

Quantity	Ingredient	Method
2	eggs	Whisk until pale and thick, about 5 min with an electric mixer.
120 g	sugar	↑
1 dl	neutral oil	Whisk in.
1 dl	oat milk	↑
200 g	plain flour	Sift over the egg mixture and fold gently until just combined.
2 tsp	baking powder	↑
1 tsp	cinnamon	↑
¼ tsp	salt	↑

Quantity	Ingredient	Method
	batter	Pour evenly over the apples and spread to the edges. Bake 40–45 min, until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
	cake	Cool 10 min, no longer, or the caramel sets and sticks. Run a knife around the edge, put a plate on top and invert in one confident move. Press any stuck fruit back into place.

Best on the day, still slightly warm.
With rhubarb: tuck 150 g raw rhubarb, cut into 3 cm pieces, between the apple wedges before adding the batter, and swap half the cinnamon for ground ginger.
Without rhubarb, a squeeze of lemon over the apples in the last minute of the sauté adds tartness.
A 30 cm pan needs 1.5 times the recipe; start checking at 30 min.
No ovenproof pan: arrange the caramel apples in a greased 24 cm solid-bottom cake pan (not a springform, which leaks).