Question: Can I prepare an upside down apple honey cake in the morning and bake in the late afternoon

I'm unable to copy and past the darn recipe here right now. I took a picture of it from my kindle and I can barely make out the instructions but basically it is:

A caramel base of brown sugar/butter/rings of honey crisp apple then topped with a batter. Can I I melt the butter and brown sugar, drop the rings on top and then top with batter and put into fridge until several hours later? I'd like to serve it that night but don't have time to make and bake after my volunteer shift at our library.

Thank you! (and if it's a winner I'll write down the recipe and share

Dunno. If I were going to try it, I'd keep the prepared fruit out and put the batter in the frig. And try not to break up bubbles as you pour. I do this with muffins that are made with BP and am just careful about how I distribute it.

I would make your batter, but leave out the leavening until ready to bake. Baking powder has two reactions: the first when liquid hits it and the second when heat hits it. I think if you add the baking powder several hours ahead (assuming that is what is used in the recipe) you'll be reducing the effectivity of the first reaction.

So prep the brown sugar/butter/rings step in the pan (although you may need to add a bit of extra baking time if the original recipe assumes baking starts with the butter melted), prep the batter without the rising agent, then add it with a whisk before filling the prepped pan & baking it.

That's what I would do...off the top of my head.

There was an upside-down honey apple cake in Bake from Scratch: (July 2021)

I'd go ahead and bake it and unmold it. Cover tightly and leave on the counter since you are pressed for time in the afternoon.

Thank you everyone! I think what got me is that it said serve warm (I've never made an upside-down anything). But I'm going to do a trial run tonight. And 1) it will be perfectly fine the next day to serve or 2) Tomorrow I'll do as recommended/suggested via the posts above.

PLEASE know how much I appreciate everyone's input!

You can run a serving in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Don't refrigerate. The recipe I looked at said serve warm or at room temp. Hope it works out as you want.

I made it tonight Deb. I did it in a 9" springform, using a round of parchment extending into the joint in hopes of no leaks. I got only one tiny bit of leaking. The batter was absolutely exquisite. I could have eaten it raw. It was a tasty cake but I did not notice honey so much as I have in other honey cakes, once it was baked. Raw, I did. I'd make it again. And thanks for bringing it to our attention.

Once again, I used Macs, just cuz I love the flavour. They were just fine.

And it was baked about 4 hours before we ate it, but I kept it warm with the pan inverted (and not yet released) over it.

Do you want me to copy the recipe here?

I would love to see your recipe, Marg, but only when you have time after Turkey Day is past. Wigs

Sure Caryn. Our turkey day was last month, so nothing special going on here. I presume this is the one you referred to Deb.

Apples and Honey Upside-Down Cake Makes 1 (9-inch) cake

Nonstick cooking spray , for greasing
3 small Honeycrisp apples (453 grams), cored and sliced into 8 wedges each
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
3 tablespoons (45 grams) water
1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter
1 cup (336 grams) honey, plus more for garnish (optional)
¾ cup (180 grams) whole buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature
½ cup (100 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
2 cups (270 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons (6 grams) kosher salt
1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon (1 gram) freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking powder
½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking soda
Whipped cream , for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a high-sided (no less than 2½ inches high) 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper cut to fit and grease with cooking spray.
Line the bottom of the prepared pan with apple wedges, arranging them in concentric circles, then shingle any remaining slices in the centre.
In a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar with 3 tablespoons (45 grams) water. Cook over medium-high heat, shaking the pan as needed, until an amber caramel forms, 6 to 8 minutes. Immediately pour the caramel over the apples in an even layer.
In another medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook, stirring continuously, until browned and nutty in aroma, 6 to 8 minutes. Pour the melted butter into a heatproof large bowl and let cool slightly, then whisk in the honey, buttermilk, eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda to combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three additions and fold until just incorporated after each. Pour the batter over the caramel-coated apples. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cover with foil after 1 hour to prevent excess browning, if needed.
Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a paring knife around the edge of the cake. Place a plate over the cake pan and invert them together, then lift off the pan and remove the parchment. Let the cake cool slightly, then serve warm. Top with whipped cream and drizzle with honey, if desired.

*Recipe from Jew-ish: A Cookbook: Reinvented Recipes from a Modern Mensch © 2021 by Jake Cohen. Photography © 2021 by Matt Taylor-Gross. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

The cake was quite a disappointment. I liked the upside-down part of it but I would change it from a honey cake to a kuchen bottom.