Go Back
Spiced Apple Molasses Sheet Cake, fall desserts recipes easy
Brittany Stage

Spiced Apple Molasses Sheet Cake

A tender vanilla butter cake baked over a layer of spiced apples and bubbling salted caramel, then flipped to reveal a glossy, impressive top. Simple enough for a Sunday and pretty enough for a dinner table.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 412
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter for the caramel layer
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar packed, for the caramel layer
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt for the caramel layer
  • 3 medium Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, sliced 1/4 inch thick
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon for the apples
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg for the apples
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt for the cake batter
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, room temperature, for the cake batter
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk room temperature, shaken well

Equipment

  • 9-inch cast iron skillet or oven-safe skillet
  • hand mixer or stand mixer
  • large mixing bowl
  • wire cooling rack
  • large serving plate

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place your 9-inch cast iron skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the 4 tablespoons of butter for the caramel and let it melt completely. Add the brown sugar and sea salt, then stir until combined. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring gently, until the mixture is bubbling and slightly thickened. Remove from heat.
  2. Toss the apple slices with cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl. Arrange them over the caramel in the skillet in a single, slightly overlapping layer. Start at the outside edge and work inward, fanning the slices like a pinwheel if you like a pretty pattern. Set the skillet aside.
  3. Make the cake batter. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the room-temperature butter and granulated sugar with a hand mixer on medium-high for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
  4. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately to the butter mixture: add half the flour, mix on low until just combined, pour in all the buttermilk, mix gently, then add the remaining flour and stir just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix or the cake will be tough.
  5. Pour the batter over the apple layer in the skillet and use a spatula to spread it evenly all the way to the edges. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The edges will have pulled away slightly from the pan.
  6. Let the cake rest in the skillet for exactly 10 minutes. Do not wait longer or the caramel will harden and stick. Run a thin knife around the entire edge of the cake to loosen it. Place a large flat serving plate over the skillet, hold both firmly with oven mitts, and flip in one confident motion. Leave the skillet sitting on top of the cake for 30 seconds so the caramel drips down, then lift it straight up.
  7. Serve warm or at room temperature. The caramel layer on top will look shiny and golden with the apple slices visible. Spoon any extra caramel from the skillet over the top of the cake. Pairs beautifully with vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Notes

If any apple slices stick to the pan when you flip, simply press them back into place on top of the cake. The caramel layer covers any imperfections easily.