Upside Down Apple Cake Bites with Dried Fruit
Individual upside-down cakes with caramelized apple and cinnamon base, topped with a light sponge batter enriched with dried apricots and raisins. Baked in a brownie or muffin pan until golden. The fruit-forward bottom becomes the showstopper when inverted.
Ingredients
- ½ apple, chopped into small pieces
- 1 dried apricot, skin removed, finely choppedfresh apricot0.75:1none
Adjust chopping method; may add moisture
- ⅝ oz raisins
- 1 egg, whole
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ cups wheat flour
- 3 ½ tbsp butter, melted
- ¼ cups white sugar
- 3 teaspoon white sugar
- ¼ packet vanilla sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- water, hot
- 1 brownie or muffin pan, 6-8 cavities, preferably silicone
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F.
- 2
Grease the brownie or muffin pan if not silicone.
- 3
Chop the apple into small pieces and distribute among the pan cavities. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
- 4
Remove skin from apricot and chop finely.
- 5
Whisk whole egg, egg yolk, and sugar together in a bowl.
- 6
Set bowl over a pan of hot water on low heat, ensuring water does not boil.
- 7
Whisk until mixture is warm and falls slowly from a spoon.
- 8
Continue whisking with a mixer until it thickens.
- 9
Fold in flour, melted butter, vanilla sugar, and cinnamon gently.
- 10
Fold in raisins and chopped apricots carefully.
- 11
Pour batter over the apple pieces.
- 12
Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick test passes.
Tips
Use a double boiler method (bowl over hot water) to gently warm the egg mixture before whisking to ensure a light, voluminous sponge.
Fold ingredients gently after the egg mixture thickens to maintain aeration.
Silicone pans eliminate the need for greasing and make unmolding easier.
Good to Know
Keep in airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days, or refrigerate up to 4 days. Do not stack without parchment between layers to prevent sticking.
Prepare batter through folding in fruit up to 2 hours ahead. Assemble pan and bake just before serving for best texture.
Invert onto a plate while still warm so caramelized fruit top is visible. Serve at room temperature or slightly warm.
Common Mistakes
Do not let the water boil during the double boiler step to avoid scrambling the eggs.
Do not overmix after adding flour to avoid a dense, tough cake.
Do not skip the toothpick test; overbaking dries the delicate sponge.
Substitutions
Adjust chopping method; may add moisture