A classic French upside-down tart of caramelised apples baked beneath a round of all-butter puff pastry, then inverted to reveal a glossy, deep amber top. The apples are tender and richly sweet, the caramel sharpened with a pinch of flaky salt, and the pastry underneath stays crisp where it counts. Served warm with crème fraîche, it is a proper, unfussy centrepiece dessert.
320g
1,200g
2tbsp
75g
175g
1tsp
200g| # | Product | Quantity | Notes | State | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | 320g | — | — | |
| 2 | | 1,200g | — | — | |
| 3 | | 2tbsp | — | — | |
| 4 | | 75g | — | — | |
| 5 | | 175g | — | — | |
| 6 | | 1tsp | — | — | |
| 7 | 1pinch | — | — | ||
| 8 | | 200g | — | — |
Set the oven to 200 °C and allow it to heat fully before you begin baking.
Lay the all-butter puff pastry block on the chopping board.
All-butter puff pastry · 320 g
Using a round cutter slightly larger than your ovenproof frying pan, cut a circle from the pastry, then chill it until needed.
Place the apples (a variety that holds its shape, such as Braeburn or Pink Lady) into the large bowl ready to peel.
Apple · 1,200 g
Peel each apple with a peeler, removing all the skin.
Cut each peeled apple in half through the core.
Use the tip of a small knife or a melon baller to remove the core and pips from each apple half.
Spoon the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice over the cored apple halves in the bowl.
Lemon juice · 2 tbspTurn the apple halves in the lemon juice until each one is evenly coated.
Add the butter to the ovenproof frying pan.
Butter · 75 gSet the pan over a medium heat and let the butter melt completely, swirling once or twice.
Scatter the caster sugar evenly over the melted butter.
Caster sugar · 175 gCook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter and sugar come together into a deep amber caramel.
Add the vanilla extract to the caramel and stir briefly to combine.
Vanilla extract · 1 tspScatter a pinch of flaky sea salt over the caramel.
Arrange the lemon-coated apple halves tightly, cut-side up, in neat concentric circles over the caramel, packing them closely as they will shrink during cooking.
Cook the apples over a medium heat, basting them occasionally with the caramel bubbling up around them, until they have softened slightly and taken on some colour.
Lay the chilled pastry circle over the apples, tucking the edges down snugly inside the rim of the pan to enclose the fruit.
Tuck the pastry edges down around the apples with the back of a spoon to seal the tart inside the 24 cm pan; the pan and caramel are still very hot, so keep your fingers out.
Slide the ovenproof frying pan into the oven.
Bake until the pastry is deep golden and cooked through and the caramel is bubbling thickly around the edges.
Using oven gloves, lift the pan out of the oven.
Leave the pan to rest for 5 minutes so the caramel settles slightly.
Place a large serving plate face-down over the pan, then, holding both firmly together with oven gloves, flip them in one confident movement so the tarte tatin falls onto the plate with the caramelised apples on top.
Spoon the crème fraîche alongside the tarte tatin on the serving plate.
Crème fraîche · 200 g| # | Product | Tool | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | | Set the oven to 200 °C and allow it to heat fully before you begin baking.⏱ 15 min |
| 2 | 320 g | | Lay the all-butter puff pastry block on the chopping board.⏱ 10sResultAll-butter puff pastry |
| 3 | All-butter puff pastrystep 2 | | Using a round cutter slightly larger than your ovenproof frying pan, cut a circle from the pastry, then chill it until needed.⏱ 2 minResultPastry circleused in step 18 |
| 4 | 1,200 g | | Place the apples (a variety that holds its shape, such as Braeburn or Pink Lady) into the large bowl ready to peel.⏱ 10sResultApple |
| 5 | — | | Peel each apple with a peeler, removing all the skin.⏱ 3 minResultPeeled apples |
| 6 | — | | Cut each peeled apple in half through the core.⏱ 1 minResultHalved apples |
| 7 | — | | Use the tip of a small knife or a melon baller to remove the core and pips from each apple half.⏱ 3 minResultCored apple halves |
| 8 | 2 tbsp | | Spoon the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice over the cored apple halves in the bowl.⏱ 10sResultCored apple halves and lemon juice |
| 9 | — | | Turn the apple halves in the lemon juice until each one is evenly coated.⏱ 1 minResultLemon-coated apple halvesused in step 16 |
| 10 | 75 g | Add the butter to the ovenproof frying pan.⏱ 10sResultButter | |
| 11 | — | Set the pan over a medium heat and let the butter melt completely, swirling once or twice.⏱ 2 minResultMelted butter | |
| 12 | 175 g | Scatter the caster sugar evenly over the melted butter.⏱ 10sResultMelted butter and caster sugar | |
| 13 | — | | Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter and sugar come together into a deep amber caramel.⏱ 9 minResultDeep amber caramel |
| 14 | 1 tsp | Add the vanilla extract to the caramel and stir briefly to combine.⏱ 10sResultDeep amber caramel and vanilla extract | |
| 15 | 1 pinch | Scatter a pinch of flaky sea salt over the caramel.⏱ 10sResultSeasoned caramel | |
| 16 | Lemon-coated apple halvesstep 9 | Arrange the lemon-coated apple halves tightly, cut-side up, in neat concentric circles over the caramel, packing them closely as they will shrink during cooking.⏱ 2 minResultCaramel-bedded apples | |
| 17 | — | | Cook the apples over a medium heat, basting them occasionally with the caramel bubbling up around them, until they have softened slightly and taken on some colour.⏱ 5 minResultSoftened caramel-bedded apples |
| 18 | Pastry circlestep 3 | Lay the chilled pastry circle over the apples, tucking the edges down snugly inside the rim of the pan to enclose the fruit.⏱ 1 minResultSoftened caramel-bedded apples and pastry circle | |
| 19 | — | | Tuck the pastry edges down around the apples with the back of a spoon to seal the tart inside the 24 cm pan; the pan and caramel are still very hot, so keep your fingers out.⏱ 1 minResultSealed tart |
| 20 | — | | Slide the ovenproof frying pan into the oven.⏱ 10sResultSealed tart |
| 21 | — | | Bake until the pastry is deep golden and cooked through and the caramel is bubbling thickly around the edges.⏱ 27 minResultBaked tarte tatin |
| 22 | — | | Using oven gloves, lift the pan out of the oven.⏱ 10sResultBaked tarte tatin |
| 23 | — | Leave the pan to rest for 5 minutes so the caramel settles slightly.⏱ 5 minResultRested tarte tatin | |
| 24 | Rested tarte tatinstep 23 | | Place a large serving plate face-down over the pan, then, holding both firmly together with oven gloves, flip them in one confident movement so the tarte tatin falls onto the plate with the caramelised apples on top.⏱ 30sResultInverted tarte tatin |
| 25 | 200 g | | Spoon the crème fraîche alongside the tarte tatin on the serving plate.⏱ 10sResultInverted tarte tatin and crème fraîche |
| Total Time | 57 min | ||
A batch eaten a portion at a time — about 6 portions. Serve what is wanted now and keep the rest.
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| 659kcal | |
| 5g | |
| 37g | |
| 21g | |
| 81g | |
| 51g | |
| 3g | |
| 322mg |
A classic French upside-down tart of caramelised apples baked beneath a round of all-butter puff pastry, then inverted to reveal a glossy, deep amber top. The apples are tender and richly sweet, the caramel sharpened with a pinch of flaky salt, and the pastry underneath stays crisp where it counts. Served warm with crème fraîche, it is a proper, unfussy centrepiece dessert.
What you’ll doYou will cut a round of puff pastry, then peel, core and halve the apples and toss them in lemon juice. The apples cook in a butter caramel in an ovenproof pan and are covered with the pastry. The tart is baked and turned out upside down.
