The apple cinnamon upside-down cake is like a giant cinnamon roll, only better. It has a cream cheese filling, homemade caramel sauce, and fresh apples on top. It is served for breakfast or brunch, or simply as a dessert or snack. It’s so delicious and comforting – perfect for the fall baking season!
Ingredients
2 x 8 oz. refrigerated crescent rolls or crescent dough sheets
2 tablespoons of melted and slightly cooled butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
8 oz. of softened cream cheese
¼ cup of sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
For the caramel sauce:
¾ cup of butter
1 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of brown sugar
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
¼ cup of heavy cream
2-3 apples peeled and sliced from ¼ inches
Instructions
Spray a 9 x 2 inch round mold with a non-stick spray, line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper, then spray the paper and set it aside.
To make the caramel, in a saucepan over medium heat, melt ¾ cup of butter, add the heavy cream, then stir in the sugar, salt, corn syrup and vanilla. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes until it starts to thicken. Pour half of the sauce into a prepared pan and set aside the remaining caramel to serve.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and set aside.
In a small bowl, beat 1/3 cup brown sugar with 2 teaspoons cinnamon and set aside.
Mix cream cheese, ¼ cup sugar and vanilla and set aside.
Arrange sliced apples in the bottom of the pan with the caramel sauce.
On parchment paper lightly dusted with flour, spread a sheet of crescent dough and set aside. If using half-moon rolls, seal the hole to make a large rectangle.
Repeat the process with the second tube of crescent dough. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the first rectangle of crescent dough.
Cover the cream cheese layer with the second crescent dough rectangle. Paint with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and sprinkle with the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Tap gently with your hands to stick the cinnamon sugar to the dough. Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife cut 1-inch wide strips.
Roll a stripe into the spiral and place it in the center of the pan. Gently lift the second stripe and wrap it in the center. Continue to add the strips around the roll, starting each additional strip where the last one ended up on the roll. Don’t wrap it too tightly, because the dough needs room to spread as it rises during the baking process or it will remain raw.
Place the pan on a large baking sheet lined with paper, because the caramel could bubble out of the pan.
Bake for 60-75 minutes at 350 F, until the center is fully cooked. If it starts to get too brown, cover the top with aluminum foil.
Cool in the pan for 30 minutes before inverting onto a plate to cool completely. When ready to serve, reheat the reserved caramel and sprinkle the top.