gingerbread apple upside-down cake

i am currently snowed into my house as well as into the country.

we're supposed to leave for mexico tomorrow, but our flight's been canceled. we have decided, instead, to get to the airport obscenely early in the morning and camp out until somebody lets us on a plane.

a foolproof plan!

so, since (if all goes as planned) i will spend the next week thinking only of ceviche and guacamole and margaritas, i'm leaving you with something that is about as wintery as it gets: that aforementioned gingerbread cake, but with (not to gild the lily or anything) a layer of caramelized apples.

oof. what you do is make a quick stovetop caramel out of brown sugar and butter, swirl it along the bottom of a cake pan, tile it with thinly sliced apples, and then pile on a thick layer of spicy gingerbread batter. after a dalliance in the oven, you turn it out onto a plate, so it can show off a layer of sugar-softened apples and toffee-colored underside. but don't forget the gingerbread itself: it's phenomenally moist and unreasonably fragrant. i served it dolloped with creme fraiche, but unsweetened whipped cream, sour cream or ice cream would all be equally happy platemates. you would be hardpressed to find a more seasonally appropriate dessert--or a more delicious one, for that matter. 

gingerbread apple upside-down cake
recipe by karen bates at the philo apple farm via the new york times, adapted from smitten kitchen
serves 12

for topping:

• 4 tbsp butter, plus extra for greasing pan
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• pinch of salt
• 4 apples (about 1 3/4 lbs), peeled, cored and cut into 1/4" wedges

for batter:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup dark molasses
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 cup buttermilk*
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp cardamom
• dash mace (optional)
• dash nutmeg

 *see here for instructions on how to make your own buttermilk

make topping: preheat the oven to 325°F. grease a 10" cake pan. melt butter in a small saucepan. add brown sugar and simmer over moderate heat, stirring, four minutes, then swirl in salt (don't you love using 'swirl' that way?). remove from heat and pour into the bottom of your cake pan. make circles of overlapping apple slices on top of the caramel. chop any remaining slices and place them in the gaps.

make batter: using a mixer, blend 1/2 cup butter and the sugar on medium-low speed. increase the speed to high and cream until light and fluffy.

in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, molasses, honey and buttermilk. in a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. alternate mixing the flour and molasses mixtures into the butter mixture, adding the next once the last has been incorporated.

pour the batter into the pan and smooth with a spatula. bake at least 45 to 50 minutes or until a wooden tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean (it might take longer). let cool on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn out onto a platter. serve warm with softly whipped cream, creme fraiche, sour cream, ice cream, etc.