I was asked to participate in the #iloveambrosia campaign as a member of the Healthy Aperture Blogger Network. I was compensated for my time and was gifted a dozen Ambrosia apples.
Hi friends! Well little ol’ me turns another year older today! Yep, it’s my birthday! I will follow in my mom and grandmother’s footsteps and not reveal my age, but let’s just say I am still in my 30s!
I love a good birthday celebration, but this year isn’t going to be too exciting. My hubby just returned from a quick work trip to Korea, but he’ll be at the office all day and I will be doing my normal routine. We will probably go out to dinner tonight or this weekend to celebrate.
I am a firm believer that everyone needs to have cake on their birthday. For me, it’s almost always chocolate. But I was inspired to make an apple upside-down cake with the beautiful Ambrosia Apples I received. I also wanted to challenge myself to make it gluten free. I have a pantry stocked with all the gluten free flours out there- coconut, almond, rice, oat flour, to name a few, so I love putting them to good use.
So what’s special about Ambrosia apples? Well I’ll tell you.
They are the new kid on the block when it comes to apples, only 10 years old and they originated from a chance seedling in a orchard in Canada, unlike a lot of other apples that were born from cross-cultivating different varieties. Ambrosia apples are picked at the peak of maturity based on starch levels rather than external color so they tend to be blemish free, allowing them to be graded at the highest standards.
Let me tell you, they are delicious. My kids will eat apples every day which I love because it’s the easiest fruit- grab and go or slice and go. Even baby E will chow down on an apple core. So it was hard to hold everyone off until I was done with my recipe creating!
So what did everyone think?
Flavor and Appearance– Ambrosia apples have a distinct honey flavor and pretty red/yellow skin. They are one of the sweetest apples out there!
Texture– Ambrosia apples are crisp and juicy and have a nice crunchy texture. Exactly what you’d want in an apple.
Cooking– I already mentioned naturally sweet so you can get by using a little less sugar in your recipes. They are also slow to oxidize so they won’t turn brown as quickly as other apples. This makes them a great pick for a cheese and fruit platter or in salads. They also retain their shape well so make a great apple for baking tarts or pies.
All apples are very nutritious. They are a good source of fiber (~4 grams) and vitamin C (~15% of the RDA from one apple) and they’re heart healthy! They are known to reduce LDL cholesterol which in turn reduces the risk of heart disease. A medium-sized apple is 100 calories and with the natural sweetness found in Ambrosia apples, it’s a great snack option you’ve got a sweet craving.
You can find these beauties in most major supermarkets nationwide, as well as many independent stores. Most major supermarket chains carry Ambrosias from November through March. During the spring and summer months these apples are often imported into the United States from Chile and New Zealand. If you don’t see then in your local market, just ask the produce manager to stock them for you!
You don’t need to be celebrating a birthday in order to make yourself a cake. My son rated it a 9 1/2 out of 10 so I guess that means I’ll be making it again!
Thanks for stopping by friends, now I am off to eat some cake and blow out some candles!
[Tweet “Ambrosia Apple Upside-Down Cake {Gluten Free} #iloveambrosia via @nutritiouseats”]
- ¼ cup butter
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into thin slices ~ ¼ inch
- ½ cup oat flour
- ½ cup brown rice flour
- ⅓ cup almond flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9 inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Coat in cooking spray and set aside. In a small saucepan melt the butter, add the brown sugar and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat, add cinnamon.
- Place one layer of apples in the cake pan. Pour caramel sauce over layer one and top with remaining apples. Set aside.
- In a medium size bowl combine flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.
- In a large bowl, using an hand held electric mixer on medium speed beat together butter with ¾ cup sugar, add oil and continue to mix until fluffy. Add in eggs and vanilla.
- Stir in dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk, ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. Pour cake batter over apple mixture in prepared cake pan. Bake for 43 minutes at 325 or until toothpick comes out clean, covering with foil for the last 10 minutes,
- Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Take a knife and run it along the edges of the cake to loosen it, place a serving plate over the cake pan and flip it over, giving a good tap to the bottom of the cake pan to loosen the cake. Remove parchment paper. Let cool a little longer. Serve with ice cream of whipped cream.
What kind of flavor of birthday cake do you like on your birthday?
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happy birthday!!!!! I would so come celebrate with you!
Brittany @ Delights and Delectables recently posted..Yoga for Stress Relief
me too! Happy bdday! hope you are spoiled!
Thank you dear! It was a great day!
Thanks friend! Virtual celebration!
Happy birthday friend!! This cake looks amazing!! I wish we could eat it together…pinns!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness recently posted..Mint Protein Brownies {Gluten Free, High Protein, Low Fat, Low Calorie + Super Simple}
Thanks friend! Well I’m a little sad about our text chat today but I’m still holding out for our first date, lol
Happy birthday!! I always ask for an apple pie a la mode — this looks like a delicious and maybe healthier alternative
Jennifer F recently posted..12 Ideas for Hosting a Healthy Holiday Breakfast or Brunch
I have been on an apples dessert kick lately
Happy birthday! Years ago I wanted to have a healthier cake for birthdays and started using a coffee cake recipe a good friend gave me. It is baked in a springform pan and is topped with two cups of fruit with a bit of a sweet topping over the fruit. The birthday honoree gets to choose what fruit is used and it is equally delicious with apples, peaches, nectarines, apricots, cherries, berries or pineapple. It’s not too sweet, there aren’t a lot of leftovers to tempt me and loved by everyone who eats it.
r.a. recently posted..Ambrosia Apple Upside-Down Cake {Gluten Free}
I love the sounds of that! I’d love to see the recipe
Fresh Fruit Cake
Cake Batter Topping
1 ¼ cups flour ¼ cup flour
1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder 1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup oil 1 T oil
½ cup milk
1 egg, well beaten 2 cups fruit of choice
1 T lemon juice peaches, berries, cherries, apricots
½ tsp salt apples, thinly sliced, or any other
Make batter by mixing dry ingredients together. In a small bowl mix egg, milk, oil and lemon juice. Add to dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour into 9 inch greased springform pan. Top with fruit, sliced if necessary. Arrange fruit in a circle in the center of the batter, leaving a border of about an inch without fruit on it. Mix toping ingredients in a small bowl with a fork or pastry blender until crumbly. Sprinkle topping over the fruit. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.
Serves 8 to 10
This works well with white whole wheat flour. I usually make a half recipe of the topping to save on calories. As this cake does not take long to bake apples would need to be thinly sliced or they won’t be fully cooked. The original recipe used butter, not oil, but I haven’t used butter in anything for years and the oil works fine.
I hope you enjoy this!
r.a. recently posted..Ambrosia Apple Upside-Down Cake {Gluten Free}
This did not copy and paste as I had typed it. There is supposed to be space between the ingredients for the batter and the topping. The topping part is just 1/4 cup flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 T oil. Sorry this did not copy well.
r.a. recently posted..Ambrosia Apple Upside-Down Cake {Gluten Free}
Thanks for sharing!
Happy Birthday!!! This looks gorgeous, I’ve always wanted to make an upside down cake but I’ve never attempted it!
Dietitian Jess recently posted..PHenOH 7.4 Review
Thanks Jess! Such an easy and forgiving cake!
Happy Birthday!!! Ah, to be “still in your 30’s”.I just celebrated a birthday, and I’m happy to say I’m “still in my 40’s” 🙂 Your cake looks FABULOUS! What a delicious way to celebrate. I’m pretty sure I need to make this ASAP so I can celebrate {again} with you. Have a fabulous day!!!
Thanks so much! It seems like yesterday we were meeting in la Jolla! 2 years ago!
Happy Happy Birthday!! This looks amazing. And I love the idea of this for a birthday cake.
Christine @ Love, Life, Surf recently posted..2014: Year in Running
Thanks Christine! ☺️
Happy Birthday sweetheart! What a perfect cake to celebrate with! 😉
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine recently posted..Roasted Sweet Vanilla Pecan Butter
Thank you!
Happy Birthday, girl! This cake looks delicious and I will have to put it on my baking list 🙂 Big hugs to you on your special day!!!!! p.s…I still remember in 2010 when we celebrated your birthday in Kailua Beach Park–and all the kids were wearing sweatshirts! Ha!
Haha, yes chilly in December! thanks friend
Happy happy birthday to you! What a perfect way to celebrate ;). Does your husband go to Korea often? How does he like it? I’m Korean and go there quite often so was just curious ;). Looks like ambrosia apples brought us together! It’s so lovely to connect with you, and I look forward to following!
Hi Min, thanks for stopping by! He has actually been to Korea quite a lot- probably 10 times or so over the past 4 years. He has always had a great experience. Although work takes up most of his time, he always enjoys the sights, food and customs. I wish I could go with him some time! Yes, I look forward to following you too. 🙂