And at least around DC, Urban Feasts/Pre-Thanksgivings/Friendsgivings/Thanksfriendsings are such a big thing! Young people who don’t really know what they’re doing get together, figure out how to cook a turkey and all the sides, and then proceeded to eat it all. It’s pretty wonderful -- what other holiday are you allowed to have in full twice (or as many times as you want)?
This is the first year I haven’t hosted a Pre-Thanksgiving of my own, which is a-OK with me since I’d rather just bring a dessert and go to someone else’s house/apartment.
When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, I have to try it all. Saturday’s Urban Feast was a bit Southern, so my dinner plate included mac and cheese, sweet potatoes, and corn pudding, in addition to the usuals. I take a similar approach to dessert -- apple upside down cake, pumpkin pie, pumpkin roll, and pecan pie. All sooooo good.
I was a bit rushed on Saturday, so luckily this Apple Upside-Down Cake takes a grand total of one hour to mix, cook, and cool. SO EASY. If you’re looking for a last-minute Thanksgiving dessert, or are worried that the usual pumpkin pie won’t be enough, make this! Plus, it looks so pretty!
You may recall I made a similar concoction, but with cranberries, for Thanksgiving last year. The nice thing about upside -down cake is you can do it with any fruit. Actually, pears would be seasonal and delish. Or maybe a mix of pears and cranberries?
Countdown: Three days until Thanksgiving!
Apple Upside-Down Cake
Yield: 8 servingsPrep Time: 15 minutes | Bake Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
- 1 cup granulated sugar, divided
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 small apples (I used Gala apples), sliced like for pie
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttter milk
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- Rub the bottom and sides of an 8-inch cake pan with 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter (it will be a really thick layer of butter -- there are pictures of the process in this post). In a small bowl, stir together ½ cup of the granulated sugar with the cinnamon and allspice. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Arrange the apple slices in a single layer on top of the sugar mixture.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and ½ cup of granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat until well-combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk, until well combined, the batter will be thick.
- Spoon the batter over the apples in the pan, and smooth the top. Bake until a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
- Let cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake; invert onto a serving plate. Store any leftovers at room temperature.
Serve with ice cream or whipped cream, preferably alongside an assortment of delicious Thanksgiving desserts.