CI Apple Upside-Down Cake

[valerie]

Has anyone made the Cook's Illustrated Apple Upside-Down Cake from their September issue? I am in charge of desserts for Thanksgiving and I am contemplating making it. However, I am much more of a cook than a baker and since I don't want to start experimenting when I have to bring dessert to my sister's house, I'm wondering if it is really good, or should I just stick with what I know and make an apple-cranberry pie...

Any thoughts on it? Thanks!

[nosnikreplliw]

it's an easy recipe that makes a very good cake. i used granny smith apples. when they say make sure you don't overcook the apples, they mean it. undercook them.

would you mind listing the cake ingredients? i wanted to make this for christmas, but i'm away from home (and my magazine).

[pitu]

Since you're trying not to make a bunch of cakes in the coming weeks, I'll share my experiences...none of which are CI. I made an apple upside down cake last week, the recipe from Lebovitz's Room For Dessert...plum huckleberry upside down cake, but I used hard tart apples. It was deeeelicious, but not as good as the cranberry upside-down cake published in an Alice Waters article in the NYTimes a couple of years ago.
http://events.nytimes.com/recipes/350...
You could sub an apple for some of those cranberries if you are inclined. It's a great cake, and the top is gooey-jammy.

Another fruit and cake bit of perfection in the Sir Gawain butter cake that's been passed around this board for a few years. It's super easy - I too am a cook, not a baker. I've made it with a variety of fruits.

[valerie]

That cranberry-upside down cake sounds great, thanks! I am not good at improvising when it comes to baking, so not sure if I would add apples, but maybe...I still have some time to decide what to do.

[Wheetie]

My friend just gave me the recipe. I haven't tried it, but she (who is a fantastic cook) said it was excellent. Why don't you try it out before hand just to make sure.

[valerie]

Yes, I could do that. But I work full time, have 2 young kids and am trying to lose weight so I was trying to avoid that for a variety of reasons!