There is nothing that says Fall more than this apple skillet cake with salted caramel frosting. Made in a skillet and loaded with sauteed apples, this simple cake is then topped with the most scrumptious salted caramel frosting!
I know I already shared a load of pumpkin desserts with you, but give me anything with apples and I fall in love.
What about you? Pumpkin or apples?
And wait for it, but soon it will be maple season, and I adore maple!
Made in a 10-inch cast iron skillet this amazing salted caramel apple cake is one delicious dessert.
Loaded with sauteed apples, this could also be called a caramel apple skillet cake.
This cake, with its luscious salted caramel frosting-which I could eat totally with a spoon, is a perfect fall dessert.
So grab some forks and enjoy this recipe from The New York Times.
I love collecting recipes and finding the best ones to share, so you have more time to make them!
A few notes about making this Apple Skillet Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting
I added 1 tsp cinnamon to the sauteed apples, because I love cinnamon in apple desserts.
This is up to you, as it is not necessary.
The original recipe from The New York Times called for melting soft caramel candies.
I love Trader Joes salted caramel sauce, which I used instead of melting caramels, and this saves a lot of unwrapping!
Other than peeling and chopping fresh apples, this cake is pretty simple and quick to make.
Perfect for special occasions or just a great ending to a family meal, this cast-iron skillet cake is a great addition to your recipe files.
How To Make This Apple Skillet Cake with Caramel Frosting
The first step is cooking the apples in a 10″ cast-iron skillet.
Begin by peeling and chopping 2 large apples, such as Granny Smith, Gala or Honeycrisp apples.
Melt the butter in the skillet and stir in the chopped apples, dark brown sugar, sea salt and cinnamon.
Cook for about 4-5 minutes until the apples have softened slightly and the sugar dissolves.
Using a rubber spatula, scrape the apple mixture and all the juice into a small-ish bowl to cool.
Add more butter to the skillet to grease it before pouring in the cake batter.
Preheat the oven to 350.
Make the Cake Batter:
Using room temperature ingredients begin creaming the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer for 4-5 minutes.
Add the large eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir in the vanilla extract.
In a medium bowl whisk together the dry ingredients of all purpose flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg.
Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and beat on low speed until no flour traces remain.
With a spatula, gently stir in the apples and all their juice.
Scrape into the prepared skillet and spread into an even layer.
Bake until the batter is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached.
The cake will also be pulling away from the sides of the pan.
I found that this cake may take longer to bake if your apples are juicier, so don’t be afraid to bake it longer if needed.
Make the incredible Salted Caramel Frosting while the cake bakes.
Use your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Cream together the confectioner’s sugar and the unsalted butter for 4 to 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Stir in the warm liquid caramel sauce. You may need to heat it just a bit so it flows well.
Add the heavy cream and vanilla and stir well until frosting is smooth and soft.
Scoop the frosting on top of the cooled cake and spread evenly with with salted caramel frosting.
Sprinkle the top of the cake with coarse salt before serving.
Yes! There is a lot of frosting and frankly, that is my favorite part of any cake!
But I do love this cake that is made for apple season.
Fair warning: This cake feeds a crowd and I promise this is a perfect way to make them very happy!
Sometimes I think we take apples for granted but this is one way to make them shine.
Moist and delicious, totally luscious, this simple apple skillet cake with salted caramel frosting is truly a winner!
And PS. If you have leftover caramels from making caramel apples this is a perfect recipe to use them up!
Need More Apple Desserts?
Apple Skillet Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting
- Prep Time: 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 35 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 10 - 12 Servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Description
This apple skillet cake is amazing. But the salted caramel frosting is over the top incredible! Put them both together and you have the perfect Fall dessert!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large baking apples (about 12 ounces), such as Honeycrisp, Gala, Granny Smith or Braeburn, peeled, cored and diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 t ground cinnamon
- FOR THE CAKE
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature, plus more for the pan
- 1 1/3 cups dark brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- FOR THE CARAMEL FROSTING
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), at room temperature
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 7 ounces unwrapped soft caramel candies or 7 ounces of good caramel sauce such as Trader Joes Fleur de Sel
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Flaky sea salt, as needed, for finishing
Instructions
- Make the apples: In a 10-inch cast iron skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apples, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the apples soften slightly, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove to a small bowl and let cool to room temperature.
-
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the 10-inch oven-proof skillet with butter.
- Make the cake: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, and mix to combine. Scrape the bowl well, then beat in the vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg to combine. Add the flour mixture to the mixer and mix just until incorporated. Scrape the bowl well.
- With a rubber spatula, gently fold the apple mixture (including all of the caramel-like liquid in the pan) into the batter. Mix just until incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared skillet and spread into an even layer. Bake until the surface is evenly golden brown and appears set – a toothpick inserted into the center should have a few moist crumbs clinging to it and the cake should be starting to pull away from the edges of the skillet. 30 to 35 minutes.
- Let cool completely.
- Make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Place the caramels in a microwave-safe container. Microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring, until the caramel is warm and fluid. (This mixture will cool quickly, so be sure to do it just before you mix the frosting.) Add the warm (not hot) caramel mixture and mix on medium speed until incorporated. Scrape the bowl well. OR USE 7 OUNCES OF GOOD CARAMEL SAUCE THAT HAS BEEN HEATED UNTIL WARM.
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Add the cream and vanilla and mix to combine. The frosting should be smooth and very soft. Scoop the frosting onto the cooled cake, and spread into an even layer. Garnish with flaky salt just before serving.
Notes
- The cake can be made up to 2 days ahead. Leftovers can be stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.
