Salted caramel apple skillet cake
I’m sorry. I’m sorry I’m practically pelting you with salted caramel. I apologize for getting in a rut and dragging you along with me. You deserve better.
But. It’s salted caramel. I can’t help it.
When I get into cooking ruts, it’s normally a red flag for me to keep it the heck off my blog, lest I write about nothing else for weeks. (I spared y’all from my zucchini obsession earlier this summer — you’re welcome. Although I should’ve shared the zucchini butter because it was totally groovy.)
But I sort of feel okay about the salted caramel. It’s just so dang awesome, both in pies and cakes.
And, of course, licked right off the spoon in all its various cooking stages. (Quality control, people. Qua.li.ty con.trol.)
Me and apples have a long and happy baking history. I used to spend my autumn weekends creating incredibly complex, competition-level apple pies, obsessing over the sweet-and-spicy balance of the filling, and decorated with no less finesse than one does a celebration cake.
The outer corner of my right eye starts twitching when I think about reliving those hours huddled over pie crusts and bubbling apple filling. {shiver}
Nothing makes me happier than a free-form dessert — no fussing, no pitpicking. Mix, pour, stir — that’s right up my alley.
Along with butterflies and fluffy clouds and perfectly imperfect heirloom tomatoes, it’s a cosmic reward that caramel is so easy to cook up. Heat sugar until it liquefies into brown caramelized goodness. Stir in some butter. Sprinkle generously with the best salt in your pantry. Add some cream, if that’s your thing (it’s definitely mine). And boom! — sweet and salty dream sauce.
Oh, and I also {heart} my iron skillets — everything just cooks so beautifully in them. You’d think a cake would burn to a crisp, but it just doesn’t. And cast iron can be had for a song — completely affordable at Target (they carry the U.S.A.-made Lodge brand), and an absolute steal at flea markets.
Karen xo
Hello, and welcome to SoupAddict, my little corner of the foodie world on the Interwebs. I'm Karen, and it's true, I'm addicted to soup. The seasons guide my cooking and eating, and when I'm not behind the stove — or the keyboard: I'm a writer by trade — you can find me in my vegetable garden. 
Oh, I (heart) apple season. I may or may not be guilty of inhaling, ummmm, finishing off a 9 x 13 pan of apple crumble/crisp in two days.
Please, keep sending caramel creations along. You are doing a great public service…
Cher recently blogged about: Random Rambles (TWD BWJ: Whole Wheat Loaves)
Oh honey, there is no reason to apologize. Bring on more salted caramel! Especially if it’s in things like this — warm, homey delicious things to welcome in the fall. Yum.
Diane, A Broad recently blogged about: Speculoos Nutella Candied Bacon S’mores
As with bacon, there can never be too much salted caramel. Don’t stop now, you’re on a great caramel roll.
YUM! Can you post the zucchini butter recipe, please?!!?
Do you have any issues with the cake sticking? It seems like the caramel would just stick to the bottom of the skillet. I actually just tried to make this cake and it was a total disaster. It was completely my fault, I added the apples before adding the butter and salt to the caramel and ended up with caramel rocks. I improvised something else, it’s in the oven as we speak, but was so mad at myself! I was looking forward to this cake all week. Ah well, I’ll try again some other time I guess.
Brittany @ Brittany Cooks recently blogged about: Apple Dijon Kale Salad
Oh, no! Don’t you hate when that happens? Yeah, the butter needed to be added to the caramel first. Caramel is crazy sensitive and will seize at the slightest provocation – here, it was the apples, which probably cooled the caramel too much. The butter will make it saucy and less sensitive before the apples go in. And then the cream will further smooth things out in prep for receiving the cake batter. In my cast iron pan, the only things that stuck were small exposed pieces of apple – I could’ve turned the cake out of the pan if that had been my intention. There actually isn’t any sign of liquid caramel in the baked cake – it becomes part of the batter. I hope your next try turns out as you expect!
Seriously, no need to apologize for the salted caramel – as far as I’m concerned, it’s one of the great culinary inventions
. This looks terrific and is going on my list of apple recipes for fall!
Saffronandhoney recently blogged about: Apple and radish slaw
The last time (and first time) that I tried this,my apples siezed up the caramel, too. I have made caramel before, so I think my heat was too high and then I added everything too quickly. I still made the cake though. The slices that had the huge chunks of caramel and apples were awesome
I am making it again, right now,without the apples(I have a child who will not eat cooked fruit or veggies). The caramel process when much smoother. It ended much lighter, too. I cannot wait to try it!!!
Thank you for this recipe
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