This Pumpkin Apple Upside Down Cake is everything you could ever want in a cake. A moist, sweetly spiced pumpkin cake topped with caramelized sliced apples. It’s gluten free, paleo and can easily be made dairy free. 
I love pumpkin desserts and I also love apples so I thought why not put them together to satisfy both cravings. What could be better!
I brought the cake to the weekend meeting of my women’s group. It’s so heart centering to get together with my women friends. Our group has been meeting for more than 15 years.
Our meetings follow the principles set forth by Jean Shinoda Bolen in her book ‘The Millionth Circle. It’s about bringing feminine values of relationship, nurturing, equality, cooperation, and interdependency into the global culture. Each time we get together our connection deepens.
If you’re ever thinking of getting a women’s group together I highly recommend using her format on How to Change Ourselves and The World–The Essential Guide to Women’s Circles. Women all over the world follow it. Read more about it here.
But let’s get back to the cake. We enjoyed eating it for dessert but we loved it even more the next morning with breakfast.
This recipe is based on my Peach Upside Down Cake which as been a favorite of many of my readers.
The addition of pumpkin puree into the cake batter makes it super moist, almost like pumpkin pie. The spices make the cake gloriously sweet and cinnamony.
The recipe is not complicated and can be put together in 30 minutes. The batter is made in a bowl using a combination of almond flour and tapioca flour along with the pumpkin, coconut sugar, spices, eggs and coconut oil. A hand mixer is ideal but it can be made with a whisk.
To make the caramelized apple topping, if you include grass-fed butter in your diet, that will be the best option to use for the apple topping but ghee or coconut oil also work . Pour the melted butter into a 9″ cake pan. Sprinkle with coconut sugar and top with sliced apples arranged in a circle.
Pour the batter on top and bake. Let it sit for about 30 minutes to cool.
This is the fun part, put a plate on top and flip it over. Voila your pumpkin cake with a caramelized apple topping!
The coconut sugar and butter (or coconut oil) melt into the apples creating an incredible topping without any extra steps. It’s almost magical!
This cake tastes so good. You’ll love serving it to your friends and family for a party, a brunch or just for yourself at home. I’m sure you and anyone who tries it will fall in love at first bite.
The pumpkin makes it super moist, it has lots of pumpkin spice flavor and just the right amount of sweetness.
It freezes well too, so you can make it in advance.
” I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.” — Henry David Thoreau.
If you like this recipe, try these other delicious apple desserts:
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Pumpkin Apple Upside Down Cake
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Description
This is a moist, sweetly spiced pumpkin cake topped with caramelized sliced apples. It’s gluten free, paleo and can easily be made dairy free.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour (280 grams)
- 6 tablespoons tapioca flour (45 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine grain Celtic sea salt
- 1 1/4 cups organic pumpkin puree
- 4 large pastured eggs
- 1 cup coconut sugar (192 grams)
- 3 Tablespoons coconut oil (42 grams)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Apples
- 1/4 cup grass-fed butter, coconut oil or ghee (57 grams)
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar (48 grams)
- 2 apples medium size peeled and sliced
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease the sides of a 9” round cake pan with butter or coconut oil. (you don’t have to grease the bottom).
- In a large bowl combine the almond flour, tapioca, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin spice and salt.
- Melt coconut oil, set aside.
- Measure the pumpkin and coconut sugar.
- Prepare the apples. Melt butter, ghee or coconut oil in a small pan
- Pour butter into the 9″ round baking pan.
- Sprinkle evenly with coconut sugar.
- Arrange apple slices in a circle in a single layer over sugar (eat any left over).
- In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, whisk together the pumpkin, eggs, coconut sugar, coconut oil and vanilla.
- Stir the dry mixture into the wet until fully combined.
- Pour the batter into the pan over the apples. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out with a few crumbs.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes on a wire rack, use a knife to loosen up the sides and flip onto a plate.
- Let cool for 1 hour before serving.
- Store at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert, Breakfast
- Cuisine: Paleo, Gluten-Free, Dairy Free Option
