A sweet apple melipona honey recipe for a perfect summer cake

A great way to enjoy dessert in Mexico is by combining two contrasting flavors: the sweet, tart freshness of apples and the indulgent, ambrosia-like taste of pure, natural Mexican Melipona honey! Put them together in this recipe and you’ve got one luscious apple melipona honey upside-down cake! 

Mexico may not be known for a fruit that one associates with Fall, but apples grow in abundance in the higher elevations of Central Mexico, originally brought here by the Spaniards in the Colonial Period (1521-1821). Ever wonder why they’re so red and so appealing? It’s because they’re a member of the rose family as are pears, plums, peaches, cherries and blackberries, all grown in Mexico. 

When it comes to baking, Golden Supreme and Gala are considered tops and both are grown here, coming to market about mid-August. You might want to combine them in this cake for added flavor and texture. Watch for them.

Magical melipona honey 

Honey on the other hand, has a deep history rooted with the Mayans, who thousands of years ago produced honey from a “sting-less” bee found in the Yucatan. They used their honey as an antibiotic, a sweetener, and to make an alcoholic drink called balché (like mead). It was only about 50 years ago that African bees, a stinging, more aggressive variety were introduced to Mexico and threatened the existence of the Mayan bee (called Melipona), who are essential to the pollination of tropical forest plants. They also produce some very special honey!

NOTE: In the U.S. it is estimated that 50%-70% of all honey is fake or adulterated, diluted with sugars or syrups, or by feeding corn syrup to bees rather than letting them pollinate. To ensure that your honey is pure (no matter what its origin), fill a glass with water and add a spoonful of honey. If the honey dissolves or the water becomes cloudy, it’s likely fake. Real honey will settle at the bottom of the glass, in a lump or sink to the bottom, maintaining its thickness 

Melipona honey is different because it contains more fructose than glucose, which gives it its unique flavor that is a little acidic, as if one added lime. And these bees don’t make honeycombs, but rather store it in sack-like structures they create in their nests. This honey is also very high in antioxidants and is still managed by bee-makers who follow Mayan tradition, and it is rare. It is prized by international chefs who value its distinctiveness on all levels. It also makes for a great cocktail (recipe included).  

The apple honey upside-down cake that’s featured is a traditional Jewish holiday favorite for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it anytime, especially with the succulent goodness of Mexican apples and the exceptional quality of its honey! And why not enjoy a Honey-Bee Cocktail to go along? 

Apple honey upside-down cake (with tequila whipped cream):

Equipment:

• 9-inch springform pan (Be sure to place foil-lined baking tray on oven rack beneath pan to catch drippings.) 

Ingredients:

Apple Topping (for bottom of pan):

• 4 Tbs. (55 grams) refined coconut oil; vegan butter; or butter (aceite de coco refinado (Use only refined to avoid coconut flavor.); mantequilla vegana; o mantequilla)

• ½ cup (110 grams) light brown sugar (azúcar moreno)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (extracto de vanilla)
• ⅕ tsp. salt (sal)

• 2 apples (manzanas), cored and cut into ¼-inch wedges. Do NOT cut thinner, or they will float in the batter. 
• 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour. All-purpose flour is not found in Mexico. Buy at amazon.com.mx

• ½ tsp. salt (sal)
• 2 tsp. baking powder (polvo para hornear)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonato)
• ¾ tsp. cinnamon (canela)
• ¾ teaspoon allspice. Allspice is not available in Mexico, so make your own:

• 4 tsp. ground cinnamon (canela)
• 2 tsp. ground nutmeg (nuez moscada)
• 2 tsp. ground cloves (clavo)

Mix together and store in an air-tight container. 

• 2 large eggs (huevos)
• ¼ cup (50 grams) sugar (azúcar)
• 1 cup plus 2½ Tbs. (396 grams) Melipona honey (miel Melipona)
• ½ cup 110 neutral vegetable oil**: coconut oil (aceite de coco); avocado oil (aceite de aguacate). You can substitute butter for oil in baking using a 1:1 ratio. Melt butter and cool before adding it to recipe. 
• 2/3 cup (156 grams) strong coffee (café), at room temperature 

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract (extracto de vainilla)
• Optional: Sliced, toasted pecans (nueces pecanas)

Instructions:

• • Preheat oven to 350° F (177 C).
  • Spray a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick spray.  Line the bottom with parchment paper.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together coconut oil, brown sugar, salt and vanilla. Spread evenly in prepared pan.
  • Place apples in circular, decorative fashion over the brown sugar mixture. Press them into the brown-sugar mixture.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and allspice. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, using the same whisk, whisk together the eggs and the sugar until fully combined. Next, whisk in the honey, oil, coffee, and vanilla.

• Whisk dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until fully combined. Do not overmix.
• Slowly pour batter over apples. (Pouring the batter too quickly may cause apples to float.) Bake for 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick pressed in the center comes out clean and the sides of the cake start to pull away from the pan.
• Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Use a metal spatula or knife to release the cake from the sides of the pan. Then remove the outer portion of the springform pan. Holding a serving dish over the cake, carefully invert the cake onto the serving dish. Remove the bottom of the pan and the parchment paper. (Add some sliced, toasted pecans, if you’d like.) Allow to cool completely before slicing and if you’d like, top with the tequila whipped cream that we made for our delicious strawberry pie!

Disfruta, along with a Honey-Bee Cocktail!

Honey-Bee Cocktail:

Ingredients:

60 ml (4 Tbs.) of tequila

30 ml (2 Tbs.) of Melipona honey

10 ml (2 tsp.) of mezcal

2 dashes Angostura bitters

22 ml (1 1/5 Tbs.) freshly squeezed lime juice

Ice

Lemon peel

Steps:

Make Honey syrup:

Heat water and Melipona honey in a saucepan over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Store in a glass jar.

In a cocktail or martini glass, pour mezcal into the glass and tilt the glass to ensure the mezcal covers the entire surface. Fill the glass with crushed ice and reserve. Next, fill a cocktail shaker with several ice cubes and add tequila, lime juice and honey syrup. Close the shaker and shake vigorously to mix all the ingredients well (about 30 seconds, give or take). Discard crushed ice from glass. Using a strainer over the shaker, pour the cocktail into the glass. Add two dashes of Angostura bitters. Garnish with lemon peel.

Deborah McCoy is the one-time author of mainstream bridal reference books who has turned her attention to food, particularly sweets, desserts and fruits. She is the founder of CakeChatter on Facebook and X (Twitter), and the author of four baking books for “Dough Punchers” (available at Amazon). She is also the president of The American Academy of Wedding Professionals.