This dessert captures all the smells and tastes of fall. Similar to its cousin, pineapple upside-down cake, it is easily prepared in a cast-iron skillet, then turned out on a plate along with its syrup. Sweet potatoes serve as a binder and sweetener in this cake. Serve it with a dollop of tangy crème fraîche or a little warm caramel sauce.

　　

Ingredients

makes one 10-inch cake; serves 10 to 12

　　5 tablespoons unsalted butter

　　3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

　　2 large baking apples (such as Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Jonathan), peeled, cored, and each cut into 8 wedges

　　

Batter

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

　　1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

　　1/2 cup granulated sugar

　　1 teaspoon vanilla extract

　　1 1/2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes (such as garnet yams)

　　2 large eggs

　　1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

　　1/2 teaspoons baking soda

　　1 teaspoon baking powder

　　1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

　　1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

　　1 teaspoon ground ginger

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

　　3/4 cup buttermilk

　　Crème fraîche or warm Cinnamon-Caramel Sauce (page 179), for serving

　　

Step 1

Prepare a medium heat fire (350°F) in a wood-fired oven, or in a cooker or grill prepared for cooking with indirect heat.

　　

Step 2

Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Stir in the brown sugar. Arrange the apple sections in a circular pattern, rounded side down, on top of the sugar. Use the last section of the apple to fill the center. Bake in the oven or on indirect heat in a covered grill for 15 minutes. At this point, the apples should be half-submerged in the syrup and very soft.

　　

Step 3

While the apples are baking, prepare the batter. Beat the butter and sugars together in a stand mixer until fluffy and smooth. Beat in the vanilla, sweet potatoes, and then the eggs, one at a time, until smooth.

　　

Step 4

Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices into a separate bowl. Add this dry mixture to the batter in thirds until it is incorporated. Pour in the buttermilk and beat the batter on medium speed for 1 minute. Pour the batter over the hot apples and their syrup. Bake in the oven or over indirect heat in a cooker or grill for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden and springs back when you push on the center.

　　

Step 5

Let the cake cool for 5 to 7 minutes, then unmold it onto a large flat platter or plate with a well. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes to soak up the syrup. Cut into wedges and serve slightly warm, with a dollop of crème fraîche or a drizzle of warm caramel sauce.

　　Reprinted with permission from Wood-Fired Cooking: Techniques and Recipes for the Grill, Backyard Oven, Fireplace, and Campfire by Mary Karlin, copyright © 2009. Photography copyright © 2009 by Ed Anderson. Published by Ten Speed Press.