A Sweet Way to End a Sour Week

Last week was one heck of a week, y'all.

One heck of a really sucky week.

I spent most of it at work. And when I was home I was either sleeping or putting together meals that did not require much effort--tried and true favorites I can do in my sleep (chicken picatta, homemade pizza, fish tacos, and thai beef salad). And thank goodness I didn't try to tackle anything more difficult-- because pretty much everything that could go wrong last week, did, in fact, go wrong.

Even yesterday as I made Smitten Kitchen's Gingerbread-Apple Upside Down Cake, which I've made before to great success, I had problems. First the middle of the cake fell, then I had a hard time getting it out of the pan. And since I made this cake to take to my friend Lauren's house last night, I was a bit upset by its hideous appearance. Fortunately it still tasted great so I was able to salvage it by pre-slicing the non-fallen/fractured pieces.


Now I don't want you all to think this is too hard to do-- last time I made it, I had zero problems. So give it a try if you are looking for a sweet (but not overly sweet) seasonal treat. Let's hope this week is a little easier (and more conducive to blogging!)

Gingerbread Apple Upside-Down Cake
Adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
4 TBL plus 1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
2-3 apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin slices
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup molasses
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 325. Grease a 10-inch cake pan (I used a springform pan). Melt 4 TBL butter in a small saucepan. Add brown sugar and simmer over low heat, stirring, for 1-2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt. Remove from heat and pour into bottom of your cake/springform pan. Layer the apple slices in overlapping, concentric circles on top of the sauce until the bottom of the pan is covered.

2. Cream the sugar and stick of butter together until light and fluffy. In a medium bow, whisk the egg, buttermilk, honey, and molasses together. Set aside. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon.

3. Alternate adding the wet and dry ingredients to the butter mixture, adding the next once the last has been incorporated.Pour/spoon the batter into the pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a wooden tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. (Note: if you are using a springform pan, be sure to place it on another baking sheet to catching any leaking caramel.) Let cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes, then turn out onto a platter.