Tarte Tatin (Upside-Down Caramelised Apple Tart)

Apples cooked in buttery caramel under a sheet of puff pastry, then turned out upside down for a golden, glossy finish.

TIME BREAKDOWN
Prep: 30 min
Cook: 50 min
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Vegetarian
✅
Nuts
❌
Serves
6 people
Difficulty
Medium

Ingredients

  • 100g caster sugar
  • 75g unsalted butter, cubed
  • 1.2kg firm eating apples such as Braeburn or Cox, peeled, cored and quartered
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 320g ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry
  • Crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream, to serve

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).

  2. Heat the sugar in a 24cm ovenproof, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, swirling but not stirring, until it melts and turns a deep amber caramel. Remove from the heat and carefully add the butter, cinnamon and salt, stirring until smooth.

  3. Pack the apple quarters tightly in the caramel, rounded-side down, in concentric circles. Return to a medium heat and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the apples have softened slightly and the caramel is bubbling.

  4. Cut a circle of pastry about 2cm larger than the pan. Lay it over the apples, tucking the edges down into the sides of the pan, and prick the pastry a few times with a fork.

  5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the pastry is puffed and deep golden. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes.

  6. Place a large plate over the pan and, wearing oven gloves, invert it in one confident movement. Rearrange any apples that have shifted and serve warm with crème fraîche or ice cream.