Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease the sides of a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper for easy release.

Add the vegan butter to a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the light brown sugar, maple syrup, and salt. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring constantly, until smooth and glossy. Immediately pour the caramel into the prepared pan and tilt to coat the bottom evenly.

Arrange the apple slices in overlapping circles on top of the caramel. Pack them snugly—the apples will shrink slightly while baking.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk the applesauce and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the melted vegan butter, plant milk, and vanilla extract until fully emulsified.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula just until no dry flour remains. Do not overmix—the batter should be thick but spreadable.

Carefully spoon the batter over the apple layer. Smooth the top gently without disturbing the apples underneath.

Bake for 45–50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with foil for the last 10 minutes.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, place a plate on top, and carefully invert. Lift off the pan and peel away the parchment.

Serve with a scoop of vegan ice cream if desired.