19-year-old Helena Muffly wrote exactly 100 years ago today:
Saturday, September 12, 1914: Made a cake today. It looked like having been made by a green-horn.
Her middle-aged granddaughter’s comments 100 years later:
Hmm. . . what kind of cake did Grandma make? It’s getting to be apple season—maybe Grandma made an Apple Upside-down Skillet Cake. It can be a little tricky to successfully get it out of the pan in one piece—so if care is not used it can end up looking like it was made by a “green-horn.”
Apple Upside-down Skillet Cake
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
2 cups sliced apples
In a mixing bowl combine flour, salt, baking powder, 2/3 cup sugar, shortening, eggs, vanilla, and milk. Beat until there is a smooth batter. Set aside.
Stir 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a small bowl. Add water and butter, and then pour into a 10-inch skillet with an oven-proof handle. Cook on the stove top using medium heat. Stir constantly until sauce boils and becomes clear. Turn off heat. Add the apple slices, and spread evenly in the skillet.
Pour the batter into skillet over the apple slices.
Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the center of cake is springy when lightly pressed with finger tips. Cool in skillet for about ten minutes; then turn out onto a serving plate.
A Hundred Years Ago 
Can I add in some raisins?
Of course. . . raisins would be a wonderful addition to this recipe.
Hey Sheryl, thanks. Will try the cake with raisins…
Oh, more yummy things for me to try!
I hope you like this one, too. 🙂
I will I am sure. Made another blueberry cobbler this week!
Wow, it’s wonderful to hear how much you’ve enjoyed that recipe.
You wouldn’t believe how much. I am now out of blueberries.
That reminds me of the French tarte tatin, just using cake dough instead of pie crust. I must try this one!
I’ve never had French tarte tatin, but they sound similar.
That looks so yummy, I’d be happy to eat it even if it looked like it was made by a green-horn. 🙂
My husband and I really like it.
Nice recipe. Reminds me I need to get some apples!!!
This is the time of year for excellent apples. 🙂
It looks good. It looks easy. But, I’m sure I could easily make it look like a green-horn made it. 🙂
It really is quite easy to make. And, I didn’t even have much trouble getting it flipped out of the pan. I just ran a knife along the edge of the pan, and then held the serving plate over the pan, and flipped it. If didn’t immediately come out, so I just set it on the counter; and about 10 or 15 seconds later, the cake slide out of the pan onto the plate. And, it was all in one piece!
I love it when you give us a recipe, Sheryl. This one looks terrific,
It is delicious!
Looks like a lot of work! I mean first on the stove top and then into the oven…have you ever made it Sheryl, is it worth the effort?
Diana xo
I’ve made peach cobbler in an iron skillet in the oven, and it’s so much better you wouldn’t believe it.
good to know shoreacres – thanks!
I also love the way foods turn out when I use my vintage cast iron skillet. When I saw that this recipe was cooked in a skillet, I just had to try it–and it turned out wonderfully.
My husband and I really like it–and I’ll definitely make it again. The recipe is a keeper. 🙂
It really wasn’t that difficult to make. The most time consuming part was peeling and slicing the apples.
This looks like a fun recipe, I can’t wait to go pick some apples 🙂
It’s delicious!
in my experience…..greenhorns are mighty good cooks! 🙂
🙂
I’ve got lots of new crop apples…time to get baking! thanks for sharing!
We’ve been eating lots of apple foods in addition to this cake. . apple crisp, apple dumplings, apple pie, waldorf salad, stewed apples. . .
Yummmm…my favorite fruit of the season! Enjoy!
Sounds yummy! I love pineapple upside down cake. Never thought about apples but I’m thinking of them now! 😀
If you like pineapple upside down cake, you’ll love this recipe.
I am going to make this cake. Right up my alley. Thank you.
I’m glad you like this recipe. I think that you’ll enjoy this cake. It’s really good.
I used to make pineapple upside down cake but never tried the apple version. Thanks for the recipe.
Both are good, though I personally think that the apple version is even better than the pineapple version.
I bet your Grandma’s was mighty tasty even if it wasn’t the way she’d hoped. Thanks for the recipe. It sounds like a special treat anytime, but especially on a cold winters day.
It would be good with a cup of coffee on a cold winter day.
Oh dear. You’ve whetted my appetite just when it should’t be whetted.
🙂
Apple season! This makes me so happy–and even a cake made by a green-horn tastes great!
I agree. 🙂
This really looks good. I rarely make anything with apples, just because it’s so hard to get good ones here. But this looks worth waiting for the new crop to show up and giving it a try.
I think that you’d like this recipe. It’s yummy. 🙂
That looks really good.
I really like it. It’s delicious.
Love this!!!!!
It’s yummy.
This cake looks wonderful and easy to make!!
It’s delicious, and didn’t take long to make.
looks delicious, can you cook on the stove on the top and then put in a baking dish? I am not sure if my fry pans have handles that can go into the oven. I am looking forward to trying this.
I think that it would work fine to make the sugar sauce on the top of the stove, then remove from the heat and stir in the apple slices. Pour it into a baking dish–then add the cake batter and bake.
I will have to try it, it sounds like a perfect cake to take into a church dinner or a large gathering.
Green horn made me chuckle!
It made me chuckle, too. 🙂
That looks yummy!
It is good. I think that you’d like it.
Saving to play with after e go apple-picking! =)
Have fun picking apples! It sounds like a fun Fall activity.
We used to do it every year when the kids were small. They’re 13 and 10 now, but this fall has been crisp and cool with a lot of sun and early color, so it’s almost begging us to go! =D
Yummo, I’m definitely going to try this recipe.
It is delicious.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! Yum!
You’re welcome.