Maple Apple Upside Down Cake              
Posted by: macklinda Sat, 14 Feb 2004, at 5:52 a.m.

3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 medium apples, cored
10 maraschino cherry halves
4 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
Whipped cream

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a 9 inch square baking pan. Add the maple syrup and remove from the heat. Cut the unpeeled apples into 1/2 inch slices. Arrange the apples and cherry halves in the pan. Cream the remaining 4 tablespoons butter with 1/2 cup of the sugar and the egg yolks until fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternately add the dry ingredients and milk to the creamed mixture. Beat the egg whites until stiff, beat in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Fold the whites into the batter spread the batter over the apples. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 40 to 50 minutes. Immediately remove the cake from the pan by inverting the cake over a serving dish. The cake should slide out easily with the apples on top. Serve warm with whipped cream.