Fresh Perspective Apple Upside-Down Cornmeal Cake (Or, Apple Right-Side-Up Cornmeal Cake)
Serves 12
Ingredients for the apple layer:
4 tablespoons butter
3 apples, any variety
2/3 cup unrefined sugar or ½ cup honey
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or cider vinegar
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Ingredients for the cake:
2 cups Shakefork pancake mix (or a blend of wheat, buckwheat, cornmeal, etc.)
1 cup Shakefork cornmeal
¼ cup oil or butter
2/3 cup unrefined sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup yogurt
½ cup sour cream (or yogurt)
Making the cake:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter 12 muffin cups or 8x12-inch cake pan.
Peel and core apples, then chop finely.
Heat 2 tbsp. butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook apples, sugar or honey, and lemon juice, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a glaze and apples are tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in walnuts.
At this point, decide whether you’re making upside down cake, or taking a fresh perspective. For upside down cake, spread apple-walnut filling on bottom of pan. For a fresh perspective, reserve the apple mixture to spread on top of cake after it’s baked.
For the cake: Mix together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt with a fork. Add oil (or butter) blend until mixture looks crumbly.
Whisk together egg and yogurt/sour cream in a large bowl. Add flour mixture and blend together until just combined.
Divide batter among muffin cups or pour into baking pan and bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of a cake comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes.
Run a paring knife around edge of cake to loosen. Invert rack over muffin cups, then invert cakes onto rack. Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream.