Belgian apple Tarte Tatin: Jonagold and Boskoop apples, caramel on the tray, baked in the oven
Melting, caramelised apples, a crisp pastry, a spectacular unmoulding: the Tarte Tatin is the quintessential autumn dessert. With Belgian apples, Jonagold for sweetness and Boskoop for structure, a caramel made on the tray and a well-judged oven bake, it's within your reach.
- 8 servings, a 24 to 26 cm tin
- Boskoop and Jonagold, the ideal Belgian apples
- Caramel on the hob, then oven at 190°C, 35 mins
- Unmoulding warm, after 10 minutes
Appliance and settingInduction hob for the caramel, conventional oven 190°C
Ingredients
An upside-down tart, with apples grown right here
Tarte Tatin is baked upside down: apples in the caramel at the bottom of the tin, pastry on top, then turned out. In Belgium we're lucky to have two perfect apples for it: the Boskoop, tart and acidic, which holds its shape, and the Jonagold, the most widely grown apple in the country, sweet and fragrant. Mixed together they make a balanced Tatin, neither too sweet nor too sour.
The steps
- Prepare the apples. Peel them, cut into quarters and remove the cores. If you have time, leave the quarters to dry out for an hour at room temperature: they'll release less juice.
- The caramel. Preheat the oven to 190°C on conventional heat. Pour the sugar in an even layer into the tin (magnetic base) placed on the hob at power level 6 of 9. Leave it to melt without stirring, simply turning the tin from time to time, until amber, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the butter in pieces (watch out for splashing).
- Arrange the apples. Place the quarters upright, on their edge, packed tightly together: they will shrink during cooking. Sprinkle with vanilla sugar or cinnamon.
- Part-cook on the hob. Put the tin back on level 5 for 10 to 12 minutes: the apples start to cook and the caramel rises between them.
- Add the pastry. Unroll the pastry, lay it over the apples and tuck the edges down inside the tin with a spoon. Prick it a few times with a knife to let the steam escape.
- In the oven. Bake on shelf 1 (bottom of the oven) for 30 to 35 minutes, until the pastry is well browned and puffed.
- Unmould while warm. Let it rest for 10 minutes, no more. Place a serving dish over the tin and turn it over with one confident movement, protecting your hands. Put back any pieces of apple that stayed in the bottom.
Appliance settings
| Step | Appliance and mode | Setting | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caramel | Induction hob (magnetic-base tin) | Power level 6 of 9, no boost | 6 to 8 min |
| Pre-cooking the apples | Induction hob | Setting 5 | 10 to 12 min |
| Baking (recommended) | Oven, conventional heat (top and bottom) | 190 °C, shelf level 1 | 30 to 35 min |
| Baking (alternative) | Oven, fan-assisted | 180 °C, shelf level 1 | 30 to 35 min |
| Pastry well cooked underneath | Bottom heat only or bottom heat + fan (pizza mode) | 190 °C, for the last 5 minutes | 5 min |
| Loosening hardened caramel | Induction hob | Level 4 | 1 to 2 min |
The booster should be avoided for caramel: it heats too quickly and too intensely, and the sugar burns within seconds. Caramel that is too dark turns bitter, so it's better to stop a little early, as it keeps cooking in the oven.
Variations
- With pears : firm Conférence pears, another star fruit of Belgian orchards, with a hint of ginger.
- With Liège syrup : a tablespoon in the caramel for a deeper flavour.
- With speculoos : a few crumbled biscuits over the apples before laying the pastry.
- Quince and apples : one quince, thinly sliced and mixed with the apples, for an autumnal aroma.
Storage
Tarte Tatin is best lukewarm, on the day it's made. It keeps 2 days in the fridge, covered. Reheat it for 10 minutes at 150 °C fan to let the caramel go soft again. It doesn't freeze well: the pastry goes soggy.
If you don't have an induction-compatible tin, this is often the chance to buy a good one in cast iron or enamelled steel: it goes from hob to oven and will last for years. And for the caramel, stay by the hob: with induction, the heat is immediate, and perfect caramel can burn in twenty seconds.
Which appliance?
A successful Tatin is a precise hob for the caramel and an oven that bakes well from below.
An oven with conventional heating and bottom heat
For pastry, choose an oven that offers conventional heating and bottom heat. Examples: Smeg SFP61TB3FR (Linea, pyrolytic, 10 modes, up to 280 °C), Beko BCBIM17604KSBMPS (pyrolytic, 3D hot air, Wi-Fi), Whirlpool OMR55RR0B (conventional heating, pizza mode, pyrolytic and hydrolysis cleaning).
From €629.99 to €759.99
Precise induction
Smeg SIB2641D: four zones, Bridge zone and nine power levels.
599,99 €
An induction and pyrolytic range cooker
Smeg C6IPBLT2, gloss black: four-zone induction hob with Bridge and 70-litre pyrolytic oven.
1 499,99 €
Public prices noted on 15 October 2026: the product page is definitive, and Nimesclub members often get a reduced price.
Ovens, hobs and cookers in store
SMEG SFP61TB3FR built-in oven€759.00
Built-in oven BEKO BCBIM17604KSBMPS€629.00
Built-in oven WHIRLPOOL OMR55RR0B€749.00
Cooker SMEG C6IPBLT2€1,499.00
Hob SMEG SIB2641D€599.00Conventional heating, bottom heat, fan: which one for which pastry? Find the answer in our guide to oven functions. To choose compatible cookware, read cooking with induction.
Frequently asked questions
Which apples for a Tarte Tatin?
Apples that hold their shape when cooked and have flavour. Boskoop, tart and firm, is ideal; Jonagold, sweeter and juicier, adds softness. Both are widely grown in Belgium. Avoid floury varieties, which collapse into purée.
Can you make the caramel directly in the tin on the induction hob?
Yes, if the tin has a flat, magnetic base (test it with a magnet): enamelled steel, stainless steel or cast iron. An aluminium or glass tin won't heat on induction: in that case, make the caramel in a frying pan and pour it into the tin.
Why is my Tatin sticking to the tin?
It has cooled for too long and the caramel has set. Put the tin back on the hob at level 4 for a minute or two: the caramel softens and the tart comes out.
The right oven makes all the difference
Steam ovens, pyrolytic ovens, induction hobs: come and see them at our Temploux store, or ask our expert salesperson for advice.
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