Easy Skillet Apple Cake
This is the perfect recipe to use up apples or if you simply love apple desserts. I love the crispy outer edges from baking it in the skillet and the caramelized apple topping that seeps into the moist cake is the perfect special touch!
This apple cake is a staple in my kitchen during the fall months, or pretty much as soon as the apple season starts. Once you try it, it will be come one of your favorite fall cakes too. What sets it aside from my other apple cake recipes is the apple topping and the fact that this is the easiest recipe.
Because this cake is rustic style, you can serve it as a dessert or for breakfast. It’s really good with a cup of tea or coffee in the morning! This is also a great dessert to make for potlucks, holiday brunch gatherings, and it’s a great addition to fall holidays.
What Apples To Use?
- You can go one of two ways! You can use tangy and slightly sour Granny Smith apples, as they perfectly balance all of the sweetness of the cake.
- However, you can also amplify the sweetness of the cake by using sweet and juicy Honeycrisp apples. I like to go the sweet and juicy way hands down, but it’s really a personal preference. This cake will be delicious either way!
Tips on Making This Easy Apple Cake
- Start off by preheating your oven to 350°F and butter the skillet generously.
- When making the cake batter: cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, remember to add the eggs one at a time, and remember to scrape the sides of the bowl every couple of steps.
- Spread the mixture into the buttered skillet evenly, so it bakes evenly all over.
- Make the topping while your cake is baking to save time!
- Add your caramelized apple topping as soon as the cake is out of the oven, once it’s still hot.
- HOT TIP: Sprinkle with a touch of coarse sea salt and even some caramel sauce if you’d like.
How to Store Apple Cake
- You can easily store the leftover apple cake in the refrigerator, just make sure to take it out of the skillet first! When the cake is cooled, take it out of the cast iron skillet and store it in another container.
- Make sure to cover it airtight when storing so it stays as fresh as possible. It should be good for up to a week.
- If you’d like it to be nice and warm, you can quickly reheat a slice of cake in a microwave for just a few seconds.
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Easy Apple Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For The Cake:
- 2 cups diced apples about 2 medium apples
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 3 eggs room temeprature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1 cup low fat buttermilk
Caramelized Apple Topping:
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 apples medium/large
- 1 cup brown sugar
Optional flavoring:
- sea salt
- caramel topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° and rub some butter all around an 8-inch skillet all around the bottom and up the sides.
To make the cake:
- Beat butter and sugar in a bowl of an electric mixer for a couple of minutes.
- Start adding the eggs one at a time, while sugar and butter are beating. Once eggs are incorporated, stop and scrape sides and bottom of the bowl.
- On low speed, stir in flour, baking powder, and spices.
- Once combined, raise the speed a little and pour in vanilla extract and buttermilk. Mix until just combined.
- Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and give it a quick stir.
- Fold in the diced apples with a spatula.
- Spread the batter in the prepared skillet evenly and bake for 35-40 minutes.
Topping:
- Peel, core, and slice apples thinly.
- Melt butter in a medium sauce pot and add apples and brown sugar. Mix well and let apples simmer over medium heat. Let them simmer for 15-17 minutes but make sure to stir every few minutes.
- One apples are soft and about half of the liquid has evaporated, set the sauce pot aside.
- When cake it done, take it out of the oven and spread apples and sauce all over the top and let it drip off to the sides. (It will be delicious soaked in!)
- Sprinkle a little sea salt on top if you wish and drizzle some caramel topping.
Nutrition
Some More Apple Dessert Recipes To Make
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in October 2021.
All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
This cake is beautiful!