An apple cinnamon skillet cake with brown butter frosting has baked and sits on the counter in a cast-iron skillet. Nex to the skillet is a tea towel, a stack of small serving plates, and checkered napkins.

An apple cinnamon skillet cake is an ideal cozy dessert for fall! This cake is a perfect treat for family and friends, filled with warm spices and juicy apples and topped with a rich brown butter frosting. The cast-iron skillet gives it that rustic, homemade feel, and the cake is deliciously moist and flavorful in every bite.

I’m joining a few friends to share our Thanksgiving recipes. I’ll have links at the bottom. Make sure you have signed up to receive my Sunday emails so you can get a copy of my 26-page free e-book, A COMPLETE GUIDE TO HOSTING THANKSGIVING. (I will send one extra email this week so you can have the book before Sunday! Sign up at the end of this post.

Ingredients for apple skillet cake with brown butter frosting

Ingredients for apple cinnamon skillet cake include apples, salt, butter and brown sugar. The ingredients are measured and sitting on the counter.

The ingredients for the batter when making apple cinnamon skillet cake include brown sugar, vanilla extract, flour, spices, eggs and butter.

For the apples:

Butter
Medium to large apples (I used Honeycrisp apples, but granny smith, gala apples, or any other sweet apples you prefer will also work. Just make sure they are fresh apples.)
Dark brown sugar
Salt

For the cake:

Butter
Dark brown sugar
Baking powder
Salt
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Flour
Eggs
Vanilla extract

For the brown butter frosting:

Butter
Confectioner’s sugar
Vanilla extract
Milk

The equipment you’ll need

Apple peeler
Cast-iron skillet (if you don’t have a cast iron skillet, a stainless steel or oven-safe skillet will work)
Sharp knife
Cutting board
Electric stand mixer or electric hand mixer
Small bowl
Large bowl
Saucepan
Regular silicone spatula and offset spatula

Cooking instructions for this delicious dessert

This is a simple recipe, but there are a few things you need to know. To prevent the top of the cake from burning while baking, cover it loosely with foil once the edges begin to brown. Also, don’t prepare the frosting until the cake has baked and cooled to room temperature. The frosting hardens very quickly, and you won’t be able to spread it on the top of the cake. You’ll also have to spread the frosting very quickly.

Cooked cinnamon apples are in a copper saute pan and sitting next to the cake batter.

Cooked apples are being poured into the cake batter to make cinnamon apples skillet cake.

For the apples:

Peel and core the apples and dice them into small pieces.
Place the chopped apples in a sauté pan with the brown sugar and salt. Over medium heat, cook the apples, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves. Lower to medium-low heat and cook until the apples have softened. This should take about 7-9 minutes. The sugar and juices from the apples will provide a delicious syrupy mixture. Remove from heat and let the apple mixture cool to room temperature.

For the apple cake

Preheat the oven to 350º
Coat the bottom of the skillet and the sides generously with butter. You could use cooking spray, but I think butter is the better choice for a cast-iron skillet.
Add the butter and brown sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment and cream the butter and sugar, on high, for about 5 minutes until combined and a little bit fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat in the vanilla.
Whisk together some of the dry ingredients (flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder) in a medium bowl until combined.
Add the flour mixture to the bowl of the mixer and beat until just combined.
Remove the mixing bowl from the stand and using a rubber spatula, gently pour and fold the syrupy apples and all the juices into the cake batter. Mix until just combined.
Carefully pour batter into the prepared skillet and smooth it out evenly in the cast iron pan.
Bake in a 350º oven until the top of the cake is evenly golden brown and the cake has a moist center. You’ll know it’s done when you insert a toothpick into the center of the cake, and it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. The baking time is approximately 1 hour. Keep a close eye on the cake, and if the edges begin to get dark brown, cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil.
Let the cake cool completely before adding the frosting.

For the frosting

Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and brown it. Stir regularly until it turns light brown and has a very nutty-like smell. This should take approximately 7 to 10 minutes.
Once the butter is browned, remove from heat and whisk in the confectioner’s sugar, milk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth with no lumps.
With an offset spatula, immediately spread the frosting over the top of the cake until coated.
You’ll need to work fast because the frosting hardens quickly.
Cut the cake into pie-like slices and serve.

Frosted skillet cake is in a cast-iron skillet and sitting on the counter. A serving spatula and a stack of small plates are next to the cake.

Slices of apple skillet cake are on small plates and sitting on the kitchen counter.

How to best store the leftover cake

Cover the cake with aluminum foil and leave it on the counter for up to three or four days. However, it’s so good, but I doubt it will last that long!