Heat the oven to 350ºF. Coat an 8-inch round cake pan with cooking spray or butter, then line the bottom with a parchment paper round. Peel and core 4 apples, dice 3 apples and slice 1 apple. Place in cold water with a splash of lemon juice to keep from turning brown.
Melt 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, set aside.
Whisk 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and fresh thyme leaves together in a medium bowl.
Whisk 2 large eggs in a large bowl until fluffy. Add the melted butter, 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, 1/4 cup gin, and 1 teaspoon vanilla, whisk until combined. Add the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined. Strain the diced apples and fold them into the mixture until just combined.
Place 7 Thyme sprigs on top of the parchment paper in cake pan. Strain the apple slices and layer them in a circle on top of the Thyme in the cake pan. Gentle pour the cake mixture over the top of the apple slices. Use a spatula to gently spread the batter evenly in the cake pan smoothing the top of the batter.
Bake 35- 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes before carefully flipping the cake onto a cake plate with the bottom side facing up. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Storage: The cake can be well wrapped and refrigerated for a few days, or frozen for up to 2 weeks.
