Evil Cake Overlord

Back at the start of this summer that will never end (except when it did) I received the second cookbook from one Marie Porter: the Evil Cake Overlord.

I salivated over the recipes and knowledge contained within (on another note, I may have come down with a touch of zombieism. If I remember right you starve a vampire and feed a zombie so I should be okay.) but the raging boiling heat of summer kept me as far from my oven as one could get while still standing on top of the A/C.

But now that fall has so thoroughly round house kicked summer back to his boiling wasteland I can finally take a crack at an Autumn Apple Upside Down Cake.

Oh so moist and apple and warm and sorry I'm getting ahead of myself.

Printed with permission here is the recipe to make that delightful concoction above.

• 1/3 cup Butter
• 1 1/2 tsp Flour
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Nutmeg 
• 3 Tbsp Apple juice or cider.
• 3-4 Apples sliced
• 2 Cups Cake Flour
• 1 1/2 cups Sugar
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 4 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 3 1/2 oz instant vanilla pudding
• 4 Large Eggs
• 1 Cup Apple juice of Cider
• 3/4 cup melted Butter
• 1 Apple grated

First preheat the oven to 325F. Liberally grease a 10" cake ban with shortening or do like I did and realize oh crap I only have a 9" well that'll do I'll just let my husband eat all the leftover batter.

Cut out a 10" round of parchment paper to fit inside the bottom of the pan and stick it to the shortening. (This is something I also didn't have and skipped figuring well if it doesn't turn out pretty who cares as long as it's tasty - don't hit me!)

In a small sauce pan combine melted butter, flour, brown sugar, spices and apple juice. Heat on low until it's well combined - I didn't go until saturated just gooey and tasty. Pour that into the cake pan so it has a happy new home then arrange your apple slices on top. I had quite a few leftover that made a new home in my stomach I LOVE APPLE SEASON!

In a large mixing bowl combine the cake flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, salt and pudding mix. Add in the eggs and juice and beat until smooth then add the melted butter and mix until it's that golden batter you want to lick up with a spoon.

Fold the grated apple into the batter before pouring it into the pan. Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until it looks kinda like this:

Now comes the worst part of baking, letting it cool before you can pull out your fork and have a go at it. Wait 20 minutes, maybe pass the time by turning people into pirates or killing Darkspawn or whatever it is normal people do.

Level the top of the cake and then flip it over onto a plate crossing your fingers that the lack of parchment paper didn't screw it all up.

And how does it taste? The cake is super moist and like a trip to a fall orchard where you gorge on all manner of autumn spices and apples apples apples!

It's a bit like eating an apple pie but in cake form, which if you know me is high praise indeed. Hot apple pie is probably the top food on my list of what you'll take to a dessert island.

And it works beautifully the day after, just pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds and add some ice cream or whipped cream on top. Perfecto!

There are tons of upside down cakes in the cookbook as well as popular flavors (I need to try the chai and egg nog ones) and marble cakes. So if you love baking or know someone who loves baking this would make a great Christmas present.

Oh god, it's almost Christmas again? Why does that keep happening?

Excuse me while I flip through and decide what else I shall have on my desserted Island.