Pink Lady Down Under Cake

Makes 8 servings

Pink Lady Apples were created just a few years ago in Australia, from a natural cross of Golden Delicious and Lady William apples, so this elegant, old-fashioned dessert is down under instead of upside down. The cake itself is based on great-grandma’s hot milk sponge cake. It does take just a little extra effort to pinwheel the thin apple slices in the bottom of the pan, but those few minutes for the praise you’ll get when you bring this cake to the table!

3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup firmly brown sugar
2 Pink Lady Apples, cored and thinly sliced
2 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Clabber Girl or Rumford baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Measure the 3 tablespoons butter and brown sugar into 9–inch round cake pan or 8- or 9-inch springform pan and place in oven while you preheat it to 350 degrees F and gather all ingredients.

When butter is melted, remove pan from oven. Stir to combine with brown sugar. Spread evenly over bottom of pan. Arrange Pink Lady Apple slices tightly overlapping in circle over brown sugar/butter mixture. Use smaller slices for center. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl, beat eggs at high speed until thick and lemon-colored, about 3 minutes. Add sugar and vanilla extract and beat another 2 minutes.

While eggs are beating, heat milk and butter together in saucepan or microwave until butter melts.

In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to beaten eggs and beat just until blended. Add hot milk and butter and beat until blended. Pour batter over apples in pan. Bake in the preheated oven until top springs back when lightly touched, about 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes.

Loosen edges with a sharp knife. If you used a cake pan, place a serving plate on top of pan, then invert and lift off pan so cake comes out upside down. For springform pan, carefully remove the ring then place serving plate on top of cake and invert. Using a spatula or knife, move any apples or sugar mixture left in the pan to the top of the cake.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream, if you wish.