Salted Caramel Apple Upside-Down Skillet Cake
A cozy and easy skillet cake featuring toasted pecans, tender apples, and homemade salted caramel sauce, baked to a golden caramelized crust in a cast-iron skillet.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (for topping)
- ½ cup packed brown sugar (preferably dark brown)
- ¾ cup chopped pecans, toasted
- 2 large apples (about 2 cups sliced, Granny Smith or Braeburn)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (for topping)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ½ cup whole milk (or almond milk for dairy-free)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar (for caramel sauce)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (for caramel sauce)
- ⅓ cup heavy cream (for caramel sauce)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (for caramel sauce)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with butter.
- Toast pecans in the skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently until fragrant and lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
- Make the salted caramel sauce: melt ½ cup granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat without stirring until deep amber. Remove from heat, whisk in 3 tablespoons butter until smooth, slowly add ⅓ cup heavy cream (it will bubble), then stir in ½ teaspoon sea salt. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Pour half the caramel sauce into the bottom of the skillet, spreading evenly. Sprinkle toasted pecans over the caramel. Arrange apple slices over pecans in a single layer, overlapping slightly. Drizzle remaining caramel sauce on top of apples and lightly sprinkle with sea salt.
- Mix cake batter: whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In another bowl, whisk granulated sugar, melted butter, egg, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, stirring until just incorporated.
- Pour batter evenly over the apple topping in the skillet, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and edges pull away slightly.
- Cool cake in skillet for 10 minutes. Carefully invert onto a large plate so the apple and pecan topping is on top.
- Serve warm, optionally with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
Use tart, firm apples like Granny Smith or Braeburn for best texture. Toast pecans to prevent sogginess and add crunch. Melt butter for batter until just warm to avoid cooking the egg. Let cake rest before flipping to reduce caramel spillover. If caramel hardens too quickly, gently rewarm before drizzling. For gluten-free, substitute flour with a 1-to-1 gluten-free blend. For dairy-free, use vegan butter and plant milk, and coconut cream in caramel.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: About one-eighth of
- Calories: 375
- Sugar: 30
- Sodium: 210
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Carbohydrates: 44
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 4
Keywords: salted caramel, apple cake, upside-down cake, skillet cake, pecans, cozy dessert, fall dessert, easy dessert