When my grandma wanted something sweet for the afternoon and did not feel like heating the whole oven, she made this apple cake right on the stove. You only need two apples, one egg and a few pantry staples. The yogurt keeps the crumb tender, the orange zest makes it smell like a holiday, and the lid on the skillet does the job of the oven. It is lovely warm with a cup of tea, and it disappears just as fast the next morning.
Servings: 6 · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 25 min
Ingredients
- 2 medium (about 12 oz / 340 g) apples
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 large egg
- 3 tbsp (40 g) sugar
- 3/4 cup (180 g) plain yogurt
- from 1/2 orange orange zest
- 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp (15 g) butter
- 1 tbsp, for dusting powdered sugar
Method
- Peel and core the apples. Cut one apple into small cubes and the other into thin slices, and toss both with the lemon juice so they stay pale while you make the batter.
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg with the sugar for about 1 minute until a little foamy. Add the plain yogurt and the orange zest and whisk again until smooth.
- In a second bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt. Add it to the wet mixture and fold with a spatula just until no dry flour remains, then fold in the apple cubes. The batter will be thick, like a soft muffin batter.
- Melt the butter in a 9-inch (23 cm) nonstick skillet with a lid over low heat and swirl it over the bottom and sides. Arrange the apple slices in a circle on the butter, then spoon the batter over them and smooth the top.
- Cover and cook on the lowest heat for 15 to 18 minutes, without lifting the lid for the first 12 minutes. The cake is ready to flip when the top looks set and a toothpick pushed into the center comes out almost clean.
- Slide the cake onto a large plate, put the skillet upside down on top and turn everything over so the cake goes back into the pan, apple side up. Cook uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes more, then slide it onto a board, let it cool for 10 minutes and dust with powdered sugar.
Tips and variations
- Grandma's tip: keep the heat truly low and leave the lid on. If the bottom browns before the top sets, your burner is too hot; a heat diffuser or a second pan underneath saves the day.
- Firm, sweet-tart apples such as Gala, Honeycrisp or Braeburn hold their shape best.
- Swap the yogurt for kefir or buttermilk, and add a handful of raisins or chopped walnuts to the batter if you like.
- Wrapped well, the cake keeps 2 days at room temperature.
Two apples, one egg and a quiet half hour: that is all it takes. I hope it becomes your go-to treat too.
