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Mrs. Cheney’s Nobby Apple Cake is a staple in New England, but we’re giving this century old recipe a breath of life in a cast iron skillet!

I’ve been told that there is only ONE way to make this cake, and it’s in an 8×8 pan. Well, I’m a rebel without a cause, because there is time and place for upping the stakes. My New England born boss sent this recipe my way, telling me about growing up on this recipe made by his mom and grandmother, who were adamant about making it in an 8×8 pan, and never deviating from tradition. He was curious if we could switch it up and make it cast iron friendly! Challenge accepted!

Can You Bake In Cast Iron?

Heck yes you can! There are a few things to take into account when baking in cast iron.

  • Adjust baking time – Cast iron heats up very efficiently and can cook faster than traditional baking dishes. You will frequently need a few minutes less time in the oven than normal.
  • Cool it off quickly – With cast iron pan it also retains its heat much more than aluminum pans, so be sure to place it onto a cooling rack quickly to allow cool air to circulate around the pan.
  • Be sure to check the size of your pan – the volume of the skillet may be different than your baking pan, so break out that geometry and make sure you use the right size pan. A 10″ pan will make a thicker bake than using a 12″ pan.

Looking to invest in a cast iron pan? This is my favorite skillet! You can find it in 12″ also.

Other Amazing Baked Cast Iron Recipes

Skillet Apple Tarte Tatin

Triple Chocolate Nutella Skillet Brownie

Honey Multigrain Bread in a Dutch Oven

Blueberry Coconut Cardamom Crumble

Ingredients for Mrs. Cheney’ Nobby Apple Cake

  • Butter
  • Sugar
  • Egg
  • Vanilla
  • All Purpose Flour
  • Baking Powder
  • Baking Soda
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg
  • Salt
  • Walnuts or Pecans
  • 3 cups Chopped Apples

Instructions to Make Mrs. Cheney’s Nobby Apple Cake

The standard instruction are very simple and vague. If you’re not a seasoned baker, I’m adding a few “extra steps” to this, just for clarification purposes.

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the rack on the middle position.
  • Peel and chop the apples into small chunks, think diced size at about 1/2″. Chop the walnuts or pecans as well.
  • In a large bowl, with a hand mixer, beat together the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg until light and fluffy.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, and other dry ingredients through salt. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix together with the hand mixer.
  • Fold in the nuts and chopped apples with a spatula.
  • Spray your cast iron skillet (or traditional 8×8″ pan), with non-stick spray.
  • Spread the batter out in the pan, it is thick, so it doesn’t need to be smoothed out completely.
  • Bake in a 10″ cast iron pan, starting at 25 minutes. If baking in 8×8″ pan, the instructions say to bake for 45 minutes.
  • Cool on a wire rack and serve while warm. With ice cream.

Want to Learn More About Cast Iron?

How to Season a Cast Iron Pan

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie

Cast Iron Skillet Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Cast Iron Skillet Crepe Suzette

Print
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Mrs. Cheney’s Nobby Apple Cake In a Skillet

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  • Author: Megan Keno
  • Prep Time: 15 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 Minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 6 Servings 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Cast Iron
  • Cuisine: American
Print Recipe

Description

This traditional New England apple cake is changed to bake in cast iron!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/4 c unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 c sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 t vanilla
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
  • 3 cups diced baking apples, like Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or other

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place the rack on the middle position.
  2. Peel and chop the apples into small chunks, think diced size at about 1/2″. Chop the walnuts or pecans as well.
  3. In a large bowl, with a hand mixer, beat together the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and egg until light and fluffy.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, and other dry ingredients through salt. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix together with the hand mixer.
  5. Fold in the nuts and chopped apples with a spatula.
  6. Spray your cast iron skillet (or traditional 8×8″ pan), with non-stick spray.
  7. Spread the batter out in the pan, it is thick, so it doesn’t need to be smoothed out completely.
  8. Bake in a 10″ cast iron pan, starting at 25 minutes. If baking in 8×8″ pan, the instructions say to bake for 45 minutes.
  9. Cool on a wire rack and serve while warm. With ice cream.

Notes

Mildy adapted from Mrs. Cheney’s Nobby Apple Cake