Heat oven to 330°F/ 165°C. Lightly grease one 25 cm/ 9.8-inch cake pan with butter or nonstick oil spray and lightly dust with 1 tablespoon flour (or grease, then line with parchment, then grease again).
To make the apple topping
Prepare the topping by heating the butter, sugar, orange juice, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and honey together over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Arrange apples in the pan and pour the syrup mixture over the them. Set aside.
To make the cake
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon , clove, nutmeg, baking powder and salt. Then sift the dry ingredients and set aside.
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment; beat the egg whites with the 60 gr./ 2.12 oz. sugar on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Set aside.
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer beat butter, vegetable oil, and 240 gr./ 8.46oz. sugar together until light in color. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition to combine well. After adding the egg yolks, add the dry ingredients, vanilla extract and buttermilk to the butter mixture and beat well. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed and beat again. Fold egg whites carefully into the batter.
Drop scoops of the batter atop the apples in the pan, gently spreading to cover. Bake the cake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven, and run a thin spatula around the edge to loosen. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then turn it out onto a serving plate, bottom side up. Scrape out any sauce that remains in the pan, and spread it over the cake.
Serve cake warm or at room temperature, with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.
