This time of year is perfection with the last of of season ripe tomatoes, and the fall fruit in full swing! I like having vine-ripened tomatoes and apples in the same week – it gives you the sense of having your cake and eating it too. (Although I’ll have to say, I’m definitely hoarding the last of my garden tomatoes.)
And…speaking of cake, we’ve had a chilly fall, and I found myself wanting to bake like crazy. Since I’ve been wanting to update this recipe for a while, I decided to get busy and remake one of our favorites. Everyone loves this recipe because it really is the best of both worlds, with a pie filling on the bottom, and a vanilla scented cake on top.
This cake bakes into a tender moist deliciousness that’s best served warm with Homemade Coconut Ice Cream, The Best Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, or Homemade Maple Ice Cream.
For the apples, peel, core, and slice them into quarters. Then, slice each quarter into 1/4 inch slices.
Sauté them in a 9 inch ovenproof skillet, I used a cast iron skillet. I kept a lid on the pan for the first 5 minutes of the cooking time to help soften the apples. In the second half of the cooking time, I removed the lid to let the juices cook down until they were thick.
When the apples are just tender, pour the cake batter evenly over the top…
… and then bake into perfection!
(As you can see, part of the filling bubbles up around the edges creating caramelized cake edges that everyone always fights over.)
I’ve had so many questions asking if there’s a typo in the recipe because it doesn’t contain flour of any kind. But I assure you it’s definitely not a typo, there’s something magical about nut butters where they can transform into cake, cookies, and brownies that have the best flavor!
Apple Pie Skillet Cake
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Ingredients
- Cake:
- 8 ounces cashew butter, (1 cup)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
- 2 Teaspoons vanilla
- Apples:
- 2 pounds baking apples, peeled,cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
- 2 Tablespoon butter, or coconut oil for dairy free
- 1 Teaspoon Vietnamese cinnamon
- optional: a tablespoon or two of honey if your apples are really sour
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together all the cake ingredients until the batter is smooth, set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 325F.
- Place a 9″ cast iron skillet (or oven proof skillet), over medium heat.
- Sauté the apples with the butter or coconut oil and the cinnamon. Place a lid over the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and cook until the juices are almost gone, about 5 more minutes.
- When the apples are just tender, pour the cake batter over the top and place the skillet in the oven.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cake batter has just set.
- Serve the skillet cake right out of the oven with ice cream – We really like this Homemade Coconut Ice Cream
Notes
For baking apples, I like to use Macintosh, Sweet 16, or Pipin. Granny Smith will work just fine if a more interesting apple isn’t available!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins