Ingredients

  • 1 cup pure maple syrup
  • 3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into eighths
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • ¾ cup buttermilk or evaporated milk
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • 1½ sticks butter, unsalted, softened
  • 1⅓ cups sugar
  • Creme fraiche for serving

Steps

  1. Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a 10” round cake pan. In a large saucepan bring the maple syrup to a boil over high heat and then simmer over low heat until syrup is very thick and reduced to 3/4 cup, about 20 minutes. Pour the thickened syrup into the base of the cake pan. Arrange the apple wedges in the pan in 2 concentric circles, overlapping the pieces slightly.
  2. In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking power, baking side and salt. In a glass measuring cup wisk the eggs with the buttermilk and vanilla. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter with the sugar at medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in 1/3 of the dry ingredients, followed by 1/3 of the wet ingredients, followed by 1/3 of the dry and so on. Mix until the batter is smooth.
  3. Scrape the cake batter over the apple pieces and syrup in an even layer. Bake for between 45 minutes and 1.5 hours (set the timer for 45 minutes and check) until a toothpick inserted in the top comes out clean. Let cook on a rack for 45 minutes.
  4. Place a plate on top and invert it. Cut into wedges and serve with creme fraiche.