Instructions: For topping: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 F. Butter 9" diameter cake pan with 2" high sides. Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and cook until mixture bubbles, about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat. Stir in ground ginger. Pour mixture into prepared pan, spreading with spatula to distribute evenly. Tightly overlap apples atop sugar mixture making 2 layers of apples. Sprinkle crystallized ginger atop apples. Set aside.

For Cake: Mix crystallized ginger with 1 tbl flour in small bowl. Sift 1 1/4 cup plus 3 tbl flour, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar and butter until light and creamy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in vanilla. Mix in sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk. Stir in ginger mixture. Spoon butter atop apples in pan. Bake cake until brown on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes.

Whip cream, 2 tbl sugar, and ground ginger in another medium bowl to soft peaks.

Run small knife around edges of pan to loosen cake. Place platter over cake and invert cake onto platter. Serve warm or at room tempereature with cream.

I halved this recipe and it worked out very well. Id imagine you can use peaches, pineapple, apricot, pears, etc. The softer fruits might need adjustments for dry ingredients. And, of course, it took 4 stores to find crystallized ginger in New York City!

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