Tarte Tatin (French Upside-Down Apple Tart)

About This Recipe

Tarte Tatin is one of the most beloved desserts in French cuisine — a buttery, caramelised apple tart that is cooked upside-down and turned out at the table in a moment of quiet drama. According to legend, it was accidentally invented at the Hôtel Tatin in the Loire Valley village of Lamotte-Beuvron around 1880–1890 by the Tatin sisters, who allegedly placed their apple tart in the oven upside-down by mistake. The result was brilliant: the apples caramelise in butter and sugar directly in the pan before being covered with pastry and baked. When inverted, the pastry becomes the base and the deeply caramelised apples form a glistening, fragrant top.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.2 kgfirm apples (Cox, Braeburn or Granny Smith)(peeled, cored, quartered)
• 80 gunsalted butter(cubed)
• 150 gcaster sugar
• 1vanilla pod(seeds scraped)
• 250 gshortcrust or puff pastry

Instructions

1. 1

   Make caramel

   Preheat oven to 190°C. In a 24cm ovenproof pan (cast iron or heavy-based), melt butter over medium heat. Add sugar and vanilla seeds. Cook without stirring until sugar turns to a deep amber caramel (about 8–10 minutes).

   Deep amber caramel is the goal — pale caramel lacks flavour and depth.

2. 2

   Cook apples

   Remove from heat. Arrange apple quarters tightly on their sides in the caramel, packing them snugly (they shrink). Return to medium heat and cook 5 minutes, basting with caramel.

3. 3

   Top with pastry

   Roll pastry to a circle slightly larger than the pan. Place over the apples, tucking the edges down around them. Bake 25–30 minutes until pastry is golden brown.

4. 4

   Invert

   Cool in the pan 10–15 minutes. Place a plate larger than the pan on top. Invert quickly and decisively. Lift the pan off. Rearrange any apple pieces that dislodged.

   The inversion requires confidence — hesitate and the caramel pools where you don't want it.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve warm with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.

Variations

• •

  Replace apples with Conference pears for a more delicate, floral Pear Tarte Tatin.

• •

  Use caramelised onions with thyme and balsamic for a remarkable savoury onion version as a starter.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Best eaten same day. Reheat in a 160°C oven for 10 minutes. Refrigerate up to 2 days.

Frequently Asked Questions