Skillet Apple Cake with Cider Reduction
WHAT CAN I SAY, IT’S APPLE SEASON . . .
Happy end of October you guys… Let’s seal this beautiful Autumn month with something sweet, something apple and… something easy. All of us somewhat need to get used to having the days shorter and cooler, and the work heavier and more serious. We crave for, well, spice induced comfort.
Okay, I got this recipe from King Arthur Flour. He, (King Arthur), definitely knows what to do with flour, . . . so creative! 🙂 So anyway, this one is a keeper! You know guys, I’m honestly not so much into baking, it’s a little too “constricting” for me. But, recipes like this I can do. It’s easy / not fussy / not too precise. And . . . I love everything made in a skillet anyway.
This skillet apple cake calls for Boiled Cider. What is Boiled Cider anyway? It’s a versatile syrup that adds a wonderful layer of apple intensity to anything you bake.
But what to do if you don’t have Boiled Cider, or maybe you find it too expensive to get? Fret not, I’m including the semi-homemade Boiled Cider (which I call Cider Reduction… fancy…) recipe. In short, boil some apple cider, until it’s reduced to a consistency of syrup. Simple! And the taste is incredible, it’s intense! It takes the cake to a whole new level. You’ll be glad you used it.
Skillet apple cake is for now friend, save the pie for Thanksgiving 🙂
- For the cider reduction
- 1 gallon apple cider
- For the apple mixture
- 1 teaspoon Apple Pie Spice Mix (see recipe below)
- 5 large Granny Smith apples, cored and sliced
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons cider reduction (see recipe below)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- For the apple pie spice mixture
- 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoons ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoons ground cloves
- 1 teaspoons ground allspice
- For the cake mixture
- 11/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2/₃ cup warm milk
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- confectioners sugar, to sprinkle
- To make the cider reduction:
- Pour ½ gallon of apple cider to a large Dutch oven. Over medium-high heat, bring the cider to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally, for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or until the cider has reduced to about 1 to 1 ¼ cups. Take off the heat. Transfer to a glass jar or a cup. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 10" cast-iron skillet; or a 9" square cake pan.
- Combine all the ingredients for the apple pie spice mixture. Set aside.
- Combine the apples with the brown sugar, cider reduction, spice mixture, and salt. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Mix the warm milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture, stirring to combine. Pour into the prepared skillet.
- With a sloted spoon, add the apple mixture onto the batter.
- Bake the cake for about 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven, and cool for 20 minutes so.
- Dust with confectioners sugar and serve with whipped cream or make it a la mode.
