Melt-In-Your-Mouth Apple Cake

Very light and soft. The only downside to this cake is it disappears too quickly! 

Ingredients
For the caramel:
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons water

For the apples:
5 apples
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon unsalted butter

For the cake:
3 eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup corn starch
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons rum
3 tablespoons orange juice

9 inch round pan

Directions
Making the caramel

1. Get ready : the caramel gets very hot and needs to be handled very quickly when it's done. So have the mold that you will be using next to you and oven mitts to handle it.
2. Heat 1/3 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons water in a saucepan over medium heat.
3. Stir with a wooden spoon. When the sugar begins to melt in the water it will form crystals. Swirl the pan to collect all the sugar that may be stuck to the sides. You want to make sure all the crystals melt at the same time.
4. As soon as the crystals melt, it will turn from white to amber. From now on watch it carefully, as it will turn darker very quickly. You want it to be slightly golden.
5. Immediately remove from the heat and pour it very carefully into the mold. Handle the mold with the mitts as it gets very hot.  Swirl the mold to coat the bottom and the sides evenly.

Cooking the apples
Peel, core and slice the apples around 1/3 inch thick. Place in a saucepan with the brown sugar and butter. Mix gently and cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until the apples start to caramelize.

Making the cake

1. Heat your oven at 375 degrees F
2. Separate the egg whites and yolks
3. In a large bowl beat the egg yolks and sugar with an electric mixer. You should obtain a pale yellow color
4. Gradually add the oil, then the rum and juice, while still beating
5. Whisk the flour and baking powder together and add to the sugar and egg mixture, mixing until well blended
6. Arrange some of the cooked apple slices decoratively on top of the caramel in the mold
7. Fold in the remaining cooked apples into the batter
8. Beat the egg whites until firm and fold in delicately
9. Pour batter onto the apples slices in the mold
10. Bake at 375 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 30-35 minutes
11. Let the cake cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Run a thin spatula or knife around the edge of the cake to loosen the sides from pan and shake to unmold. Invert the cake over on a plate and let it cool completely.

Variations for simpler versions: skip the caramel making and

1. Add your favorite chocolate frosting, or
2. Just dust the cake with icing sugar once it's cooled down.