Cinnamon-Sugar Apple Skillet Cake

What an interesting week this has been! Two attempts at trying not to ooze guy repellent, one stomach bug and one missing pinkie tip. Yup, that's right, I cut off the tip of my pinkie while attempting to cut apples for the recipe I made this week. Good thing it was delicious and almost worth the pain! This recipe comes courtesy of one of my favorite bloggers Joy the Baker. Joy (who is my best friend and just doesn't know it yet) posted this recipe a couple of days ago and I ran right out and bought buttermilk and apples.

After attempting the cut the apples in rounds as the recipe calls for, I wouldn't recommend doing it that way because of the missing tip of my pinkie, but maybe you have a sharper knife than me, or a mandolin slicer. I cut the apples into thin pieces and everything baked up fine.

I also don't own a cast-iron skillet (I know, I know, I'm working on it) but it worked fine in a 9 inch cake pan. The cake looked beautiful, tasted delicious and it was tested and approved by my co-workers. It made a wonderful addition to our weekly morning meeting.

Enjoy!

Cinnamon-Sugar Apple Skillet Cake
Courtesy of Joy the Baker

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

3/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 or 4 apples, sliced into thin rounds and cored

1/4 cup sugar and 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon for topping

Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease and flour the bottom and sides of an 8-inch or 9-inch cast iron skillet (or other oven-proof dish or cake pan).

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.  Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until well incorporated and lighter in color, about 3 minutes.  Add egg and yolk, beating for 1 minute between each addition.  Beat in the vanilla extract.

With the mixer on low, add half of the flour mixture.  Add the buttermilk and when flour is just combined with the butter mixture, add the remaining flour.  Beat on low speed until most of the flour has disappeared into the mixture.  Remove the bowl from the mixer and finish incorporating ingredients with a spatula.  Spoon batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.  Top generously with sliced apples and cinnamon-sugar.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Serve cake warm, with coffee of tea.  Cake should be wrapped in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.