Apple Tarte Tatin is a fancy name for an apple upside down cake. In this version of the famous French dessert, the apples are caramelized in brown sugar and brandy. This beautiful looking dessert can be made in less than an hour and is perfect when you don’t have a lot of time to plan out something more elaborate.
Origin of Tarte Tatin
While various apple tarte tatin versions are widely sold in Paris bakeries, the legend has it that the very first apple tarte tatin was created purely by accident at the Hotel Tatin in France, run by the Tatin sisters.
One of them set out to make a traditional apple pie, but accidentally overcooked apples in butter and sugar for too long and in her attempt to rescue the dish she put the cake batter on top of the apples and then baked it upside down.
When inverted, apples in sugar produced a tantalizing caramel flavor and the unsuspecting guests (to no surprise) loved this accidental version of the apple dessert so much, that it became the hotel’s signature dish.
Tarte Tatin’s apples are caramelized in brown sugar and brandy
While the cake portion of this upside-down apple cake is delicious enough, the real marvelous part are the apples caramelized in brown sugar and brandy. Apple wedges are slightly cooked in a hot butter-sugar-brandy mixture until a caramel-like syrup forms and the apples are tender.
What type of pan to use for Apple Tarte Tatin
The apples in the Apple Tarte Tatin are layered in a 9 inch round cake pan, then topped with the brandy-brown sugar syrup and cake batter. I also used a 9 inch cast iron skillet here to caramelize apples.
I also found this enameled cast iron Tarte Tatin Pan! I didn’t use it, but it’s fun to know that such a pan exists:
Tarte Tatin preparation in a nutshell
- Prepare cake batter
- Caramelize the apples in the brown sugar and brandy mixture in the cast iron skillet
- Move caramelized apples to a 9-inch glass pie baking dish
- Add the cake batter on top of apples and bake at 350 F for about 30 to 40 minutes
Detailed Step By Step Tarte Tatin Preparation
Peel, core and slice 2 Granny Smith apples into wedges. I ended up using about 20 apple wedges for my 9-inch round pan. Set aside.
How to cook apples in brown sugar and brandy
Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet (I used a 9 inch cast iron skillet) over medium heat. Add brown sugar and cook until sugar is evenly moistened, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons of brandy (it will bubble up) and simmer for 2 more minutes (bubbles will continue).
Add apples to the brandied mixture and cook on low heat for only 1 to 2 minutes – and then immediately remove pan from heat to avoid overcooking the apples.
How to arrange apples in the baking dish
Immediately move apple slices from the skillet to the 9-inch glass pie baking dish with a serving turner or a fork. Make sure to move them immediately to avoid over-steaming them in the hot cast iron pan.
Arrange apple slices in a circular pattern in the round baking dish (as many apples as fit – mine fit 25 apple wedges, they can overlap too), making sure all slices fit tightly together. Pour hot brandy-brown sugar caramel mixture over the apples and set aside. As you can see they are only slightly cooked:
PREPARE TARTE TATIN LIQUID INGREDIENTS:
Mix 8 tablespoons of softened at room temperature butter and ¾ cup of sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. Lower the speed and beat in both eggs, one at a time. Add 1/3 cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix until combined.
PREPARE DRY INGREDIENTS:
These need to be mixed separately from liquid ingredients and folded gently into the liquid cake batter. Sift 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and ¼ teaspoon salt and add it to the liquid ingredients gently with a spatula. Don’t overmix. It should only take a minute. Done and ready to pour it over the apples.
PUTTING TARTE TATIN TOGETHER:
Pour the cake batter evenly over the apples and work with the spatula to even out the top. Move to the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 F until a cake tester comes out clean.
When it comes out of the oven, before inverting it upside down – it looks nothing like the final version! But even it this point it looked and smelled pretty yummy to me. I just wanted to tear off a chunk of it right there.
Invert Tarte Tatin only after cooling it
Cool for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a flat plate with caramelized apples on top.
Hungry for more apple desserts? Try these delicious Apple Cinnamon Cake and Cinnamon Roll Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
Apple Tarte Tatin is a fancy name for apple upside down cake. In this version of the cake, the apples are caramelized in brown sugar and brandy. A perfectly delicious way to celebrate fall! It can be made in less than an hour, so it’s a beautiful looking dessert to make when you don’t have a lot of time to plan out something more elaborate.
- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, more for buttering the pan
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Brandy
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 tablespoons or ½ cup, or 4 oz unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup regular sugar
- 2 extra-large eggs very important, if eggs are small, use 3 eggs!
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
APPLE PREPARATION: Peel, core and slice apples into wedges. I ended up using 25 apple wedges for my 9-inch round pan. Set aside.
Melt butter in a medium skillet (I used cast iron skillet) over medium heat. Add brown sugar and cook until sugar is evenly moistened, about 2-3 minutes.
BRANDY: Stir in brandy (it will bubble up) and simmer for 2 more minutes (bubbles will continue). Add apples to the brandied mixture and cook on low heat for only 1 to 2 minutes – and then remove pan from heat and add vanilla.
To avoid over-steaming the apples in the hot cast iron pan, immediately move apple slices from the skillet to the 9-inch glass pie baking dish, using a serving turner or a fork.
ARRANGE APPLES: Arrange apple slices in a circular pattern in the round baking dish (as many apples as fit – mine fit 25 apple wedges, they can overlap too), making sure all slices fit tightly together. Pour hot brandy-brown sugar caramel mixture over the apples and set aside.
- CAKE LIQUID INGREDIENTS: Mix softened butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. Lower the speed and beat in both eggs, one at a time. Add sour cream, vanilla and mix until combined.
- CAKE DRY INGREDIENTS: These need to be mixed separately from liquid ingredients and folded gently into the liquid cake batter. Sift flour, baking powder and salt and add it to the liquid ingredients gently with a spatula. Don’t overmix. It should only take a minute. Done and ready to pour it over the apples.
- PUTTING THE CAKE TOGETHER: Pour the cake batter evenly over the apples (work with the spatula to even out the top) and bake for 30 to 40 minutes at 350 F until a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a flat plate with caramelized apples on top.
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Olya, I am making this today out of the apples that grow on our tree at the Cabin…a change from apple pie and apple crisp!
Hi Judy! It’s such a perfect time to be at the cabin right now in Arizona. Probably still hot in Phoenix, isn’t it?