Buckle in, because Apple Buckle is going to take your tastebuds for a spin! Apple Buckle is cake-like and tender on the bottom and topped with crunchy nuts, hearty oats, warm cinnamon sugar, and of course sweet apple slices! It’s like an apple cake and an apple pie together at last, with a rich caramel sauce drizzled on top. Apple Buckle is a country culinary masterpiece!
Ingredients
For the buckle:
- 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
For the topping:
- 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cold butter
- 3/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
- 6 cups Gala or other sweet apples, thinly sliced
- 18 caramels, unwrapped
- 1 tablespoon buttermilk
Optional, for topping:
- ground cinnamon, to taste
- pecans, to taste, finely chopped
- vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, to taste
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 2 –Grease a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or another oven-proof skillet.
Step 3 –In a large bowl, add 1/2 cup of the softened butter and the sugar and cream them together until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.
Step 4 –Add the eggs, 1 at a time, to the butter mixture and beat well after each addition.
Step 5 –Add the vanilla to the butter mixture and beat to combine.
Step 6 –In a separate bowl, add 2 cups of the flour, the baking powder, 1 3/4 teaspoons of the cinnamon, the ginger, and the salt and whisk to combine.
Step 7 –In small portions, add the flour mixture and 1 1/2 cups of the buttermilk to the butter mixture, alternating between the two and beating well after each addition.
Step 8 –Pour the batter into the prepared skillet.
Step 9 –In a small bowl, add the brown sugar and the remaining flour and mix to combine.
Step 10 –Add the remaining cold butter into the flour mixture and mix until crumbly.
Step 11 –Add 3/4 cup of the pecans and the oats and stir to combine.
Step 12 –Sprinkle the oat mixture over the batter in the skillet.
Step 13 –Top the oat mixture with the apples.
Step 14 –Bake until the apples are golden-brown, about 1 hour-1 hour 10 minutes.
Step 15 –Allow the skillet to cool on a wire rack.
Step 16 –In a microwave-safe bowl, add the caramels and the remaining buttermilk and microwave until the caramels are melted.
Step 17 –Stir the caramels and the buttermilk together until smooth.
Step 18 –Drizzle the caramel over the buckle.
Step 19 –Let the buckle stand until set.
Step 20 –Serve topped with the extra cinnamon, the extra pecans, and the ice cream.
