Upside Down Apple Chai Cake

This upside down apple chai cake captures the essence of autumn! It’s easy to make, dense, moist, and filled with seasonal fall flavours.

This post was first published on September 30, 2018 and was last updated November 3, 2020.

This post was sponsored by SweeTango Apples, however all views and opinions are my own.

SweeTango apples are perfect for fall baking recipes, especially pies, crisps, and this upside down apple chai cake. The apple structure holds up well after baking, and the slices have a sweet tang that balances the brown sugar-butter topping, and peppery homemade chai spice.

A hybrid of Honeycrisp and Zestar, apple breeders at the University of Minnesota used a painstaking process to cross-pollinate the two varieties. The result is the SweeTango, a sweet, tangy apple with a crisp, juicy bite. In Canada, SweetTango apples are grown in Nova Scotia and Quebec. They’re generally available from early October until mid-November when stock runs out, however, if you’re lucky you might them a bit later into the colder months!

Because this cake is made with melted butter it is hearty, dense, and moist. I chose spelt flour for this recipe to make the chai cake whole grain, however, all-purpose is a fine substitute. Homemade chai spice takes minutes to prepare, and is a staple in all of my cool weather baking! For a full list of step-by-step instructions and images, plus notes, tips, and substitutions, keep reading.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Step-By-Step Instructions
• Notes & Tips
• Substitutions
• Recipe

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post, to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.

Ingredients

For The Upside Down Apple Topping

• butter
• brown sugar
• SweeTango apples

For The Chai Spice Cake

• spelt flour
• homemade chai spice
• baking powder
• salt
• butter
• sugar
• eggs
• milk
• vanilla

Step-By-Step Instructions

Preheat the oven and lightly butter a 9-inch (23-cm) round cake tin. Line the buttered tin with a parchment paper circle cut to fit.

Make The Upside Down Apple Topping

Peel the SweeTango apples and slice them into thin wedges.

Melt the butter and pour it into the prepared cake tin. Swirl the butter around to evenly coat the bottom of the tin. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the melted butter.

Arrange the apple slices however you like on top of the brown sugar. A simple fan pattern is easy and looks pretty.

Make The Chai Spice Cake

Whisk together the spelt flour, chai spice, baking powder and salt.

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Melt the butter in a small pot over low heat on the stovetop, or at half power in the microwave. Whisk the melted butter and sugar together in another bowl until smooth.

Add the eggs one at a time to the sugar-butter mixture, whisking well between each addition until smooth.

Add the milk and vanilla. Whisk well to combine.

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Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Gently fold together until well mixed. A few small streaks of flour in the batter is ok.

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Gently spoon the chai cake batter over the sliced SweeTango apples in the tin, so as not to disturb the pattern you’ve created with the apples. Smooth the top of cake batter with an offset spatula or butter knife.

Place the chai cake in the oven and bake until the cake is golden and lightly springs back when touched with the tip of your finger.

Cool the cake on a wire rack then turn it out onto a large plate or serving platter. Serve the chai cake warm or cold, plain or with a dollop of whipped cream. Sliced chai spice cake also looks pretty with a snowy dusting of powdered sugar.

Notes & Tips

You can bake the chai cake in an 8-inch (20-cm) round pan if that’s all you have, however, the baking time will vary. A good way to check for doneness in a cake or loaf is to insert a digital thermometer in the middle of the cake and wait for a read of 200-205ºF (93-96ºC).

For a less dense cake, don’t melt the butter for the cake. Instead, use a hand or stand mixer and beat it with the sugar until pale and fluffy, about 10 minutes.

Substitutions

All-purpose flour can be substituted for the spelt flour.

Cinnamon can be used instead of chai spice.

More Chai-Spiced Recipes

Spice Apple Galette With Coffee Glaze A rustic, fragrant, open-faced apple pie that’s an easy and impressive-looking fall dessert.

Chai-Spiced Rice Krispie Treats A tasty, no-bake sweet loved by kids and adults alike! The spicy, peppery flavour has cool weather written all over it.

Healthy Chai Latte Muffins Gluten and dairy-free, with a touch of caffeine, these are perfect for breakfast!

Did you make this recipe? If yes, I would love to know how you made out in the comments below! You can also tag me on Instagram @kellyneildotcom or use the hashtag #kellyneil.