Traveling Skillet
OuR vInTaGe BiRmInGhAm StOvE & RaNgE sKiLlEt
tAkEs a tRiP bAcK iN tImE wItH cOoKbOoK aUtHoR aNd
GrAnDbAbY CaKeS bLoGgEr JoCeLyN DeLk AdAmS tO hEr
bIg mAmA’s MiSsIsSiPpI kItChEn, wHeRe sHe lEaRnEd
tHe iNs aNd oUtS oF dOwN-hOmE bAkInG
A SWEET
LEGACY
CaRaMeL ApPlE DuMp CaKe
Recipe courtesy of Jocelyn Delk Adams
Makes 1 (10-inch) cakeCaramelized apples bring a punch of fall fl avor to
this simple upside-down cake.2 (14-ounce) bags washed and ready-to-eat
apple slices (about 7 cups fresh unpeeled
Granny Smith apple slices)
1 cup caramel sauce*
1 teaspoon sea salt¼ cup apple cider
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 (15.25-ounce) yellow cake mix*
⅔ cup unsalted butter, melted- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 10-inch cast-
iron skillet with baking spray with fl our. - Spread apples across bottom of prepared
skillet in a decorative pattern. Drizzle caramel
sauce onto apples, and sprinkle with sea
salt. Pour apple cider onto apples. Sprinkle
cinnamon and nutmeg onto apples, and drizzle
with vanilla. Sprinkle dry cake mix onto apples
to cover completely; drizzle melted butter on
top. (Do not stir together.)- Bake until golden brown, 50 minutes to
1 hour. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Carefully
invert skillet onto a serving platter. Serve
immediately.
*Jocelyn uses Smucker’s Caramel Topping and
Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Cake Mix.JOCELYN DELK ADAMS IS THE AUTHOR OF THE GRANDBABY CAKES COOKBOOK AND THE VOICE BEHIND THE GRANDBABY CAKES BLOG. TO CHECK OUT MORE STORIES AND RECIPES FROM JOCELYN, VISIT
GRANDBABY-CAKES.COM.
N
othing screams fall like a beautiful apple cake. And
no one made a better apple cake than my big mama
(grandmother). Her cakes have always been the
inspiration behind all my recipes, and they truly were the very best
I ever tasted. They were rich in fl avor, and the crumb was so moist
it literally melted in my mouth. I always thought it had something
to do with the farm-raised chicken eggs and fresh-churned butter
(thanks to Big Mama’s cow, Betsy) she used, but now I am sure it had
to do with the love she put in all of her recipes. Even easy recipes like
her signature dump cakes turned out absolutely perfect.Her dump cake recipes were humble and old-school but
sophisticated in fl avor. She had an ability to marry seasonal fl avors
with whatever she was baking, creating trends long before they
were trendy. When fall came around, she picked apples from local
Mississippi trees to make her creations. Her cakes were the love
notes of my family and the fabric of our heritage. They were called
upon for every history-making event, from a church picnic andminister dinner to a wedding or a college graduation. When I think
about the recipes I learned at the foot of Big Mama’s apron, including
her popular dump cakes which she made in her old seasoned cast
iron, I become inspired to re-create them on my own to carry on my
family’s legacy.This Caramel Apple Dump Cake is a dream for fall apple season
and so reminiscent of the cakes I was raised to bake. It has the perfect
amount of gooey caramel and scrumptious apple fi lling covered with
a soft buttery topping. The cake has the perfect crunchy exterior
with a tender interior thanks to my trusty cast-iron skillet. I really
don't think there's an easier cake than this one. If you can mix and
pour, you can make it. You can eat this Caramel Apple Dump Cake
warm or cold, though I defi nitely prefer it warm out of the oven
with some vanilla ice cream. Either way, the warm spices and sweet
apples will make you crave this recipe time and time again. I’d like
to think Big Mama would be super proud of this Grandbaby Cakes
remix inspired by her original masterpieces.