Caramel-Apple Skillet Buckle

My grandma made a version of this for me when I was a little girl—and fresh apples from a tree in her backyard added an extra-special touch. I’ve adapted her recipe because I love the combination of apple, pecans and caramel.

Caramel-Apple Skillet Buckle

Average Rating: 4.714285

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 35 min. Bake: 1 hour + standing
YIELD: 12 servings.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1-3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cold butter
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 6 cups thinly sliced peeled Gala or other sweet apples (about 6 medium)
  • 18 caramels, unwrapped
  • 1 tablespoon buttermilk
  • Optional toppings: Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, additional chopped pecans and ground cinnamon

Instructions

  • 1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Pour into a greased 12-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet.
  • 2. For topping, in a small bowl, mix brown sugar and flour; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in pecans and oats; sprinkle over batter. Top with apples. Bake until apples are golden brown, 60-70 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
  • 3. In a microwave, melt caramels with buttermilk; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cake. Let stand until set. Serve with toppings as desired.

Nutrition Facts

1 slice: 462 calories, 19g fat (9g saturated fat), 64mg cholesterol, 354mg sodium, 68g carbohydrate (42g sugars, 3g fiber), 7g protein.