Apples and More Apples!

I love books about England

and in a search on Amazon,

I came up with this book

Cobwebs and Cream Teas!

(and she's written a couple more!)

About life in a National Trust property

How fun!

We've visited a lot of those properties

when we spent that Spring in England

And now to read about "behind the scenes" working of those houses!

But . . . I had a commitment this morning

Then lunch with a friend

And those apples . . . 

I'm working my way through those apples . . .

And I can almost see the bottom of the basket!

Almost!

So today I worked the last of the apples

Into cinnamon apple rings!

And finally, when the apples were bubbling away in the jars in the Water Bath,

I brewed a pot of tea,

Grabbed my new book, and

The last piece of last night's caramel apple upside down cake

And had tea!

It was a small piece

I made it for a meeting

And this little guy survived until this afternoon!

It's a nice apple cake

One that I'll make again!

It's easy and really good!

(And it's a Betty Crocker recipe --

We at Linderhof adore Betty Crocker!)

CARAMEL APPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Topping:

1/4 c. butter

2/3 c. packed brown sugar

1/2 t. cinnamon

2 medium apples, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch wedges

Cake:

1 1/3 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 c. butter

2 eggs

1/2 t. vanilla

1/4 c. milk

Heat oven to 325.    Spray bottom and sides of a 9 inch round cake tin with cooking spray.

In a 1 quart saucepan, melt 1/4 c. butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally.    Stir in brown sugar.   Heat to boiling, remove from heat.   Stir in 1/2 t. cinnamon.   Pour into pan, spread evenly.    Arrange apple wedges over brown sugar mixture, overlapping lightly and making 2 layers if necessary.

In medium bowl, mix flower, baking powder, 1/2 t. cinnamon and salt.     Set aside.   In large bowl, beat 1 cup sugar and 1/2 c. butter with electric mixer on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until fluffy.     Beat in eggs, one at a time, until smooth.    Add vanilla.    Gradually beat in flour mixture alternately with milk, beating after each addition until smooth.     Spread batter over apple wedges in brown sugar mixture.

Bake 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.     Cool on cooling rack 15 minutes.   

Run knife  around sides of pan to loosen cake.    Place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan, turn plate and pan over.    Remove pan.    Serve warm cake with whipped cream.     Store cake loosely covered.