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Skillet apple coffee cake with a crunchy pecan crumble topping, fresh apples, and a tender sour cream batter. Your new favorite cast iron bake!

This skillet apple coffee cake is the answer to every slow weekend morning you’ve ever had. You know the ones – where you want something warm and homemade but don’t want to fuss over anything complicated. Fresh apples folded right into a tender sour cream batter, topped with a buttery pecan crumble, all baked up in a cast iron skillet. It’s cozy, it’s stunning, and it comes together faster than you’d think.

I’ll be honest with you – I have made a lot of coffee cakes in my time. A LOT. And something about baking one in a cast iron skillet just hits differently. The edges get perfectly golden, the center stays tender, and it comes out of the oven looking like something straight out of a bakery window. My raspberry coconut coffee cake is proof that a great coffee cake doesn’t need to be complicated, and this apple version is no different. If you love a good pecan crumble coffee cake, this one is about to become your new weekend staple.

This recipe came together on one of those fall weekends where I had a pile of apples on the counter and absolutely no plan for them. I had been wanting to create a cast iron coffee cake for a while, and it just felt like the right moment to go for it. I grabbed my 10-inch skillet, folded those apples right into a sour cream batter, and topped the whole thing with a brown sugar pecan crumble that baked up into the most gorgeous, crunchy topping. The first bite confirmed it – this one was a keeper.

If you are an apple lover, I have a feeling you are going to want to bake your way through everything apple this season. My 30-minute apple strudel is another one that comes together fast and feels really special. But first – let’s make this coffee cake.

Ingredients for Skillet Apple Coffee Cake

The ingredients here are simple and ones you likely already have on hand. A few things worth mentioning; See the recipe for the remaining ingredients. 

  • Sour cream – This is what keeps the crumb of this cast iron coffee cake so tender and moist. Don’t swap it out for anything else here. Full fat sour cream gives the best result.
  • Apples – Use a firm apple variety like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Cosmic Crisp, or Fuji. They hold up well in the batter and give you a little texture in every bite without turning mushy.
  • Pecans – For the pecan crumble topping, roughly chop your pecans so you get some big pieces and some smaller ones. It makes the crumble extra interesting.
  • Brown sugar – Used in both the batter and the crumble. It adds a warm, caramel-like depth that pairs so well with the apples and cinnamon.
  • Butter – Make sure your butter is cold when you make the crumble. Cold butter is what gives you that crumbly, sandy texture on top. And if you make it ahead of time, keep it cold in the refrigerator to make sure it holds its shape. It creates the perfect dicotomy to the moist apple cake. 

What Makes Baking In Cast Iron Different?

Cast iron is known for retaining it’s heat very well. Because of the carryover cooking that will happen, be sure to pull your skillet apple coffee cake out of the oven when the toothpick inserted into the center has just a couple of crumbs on it, not completely dry. The cake will take longer to cool because of the heat retention, so place it on a wire rack to ensure proper airflow around the cake. 

How to Make Skillet Apple Coffee Cake

Making this skillet apple coffee cake is straightforward, and the steps move quickly. Here is how to do it:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease your 10-inch cast iron skillet well and set it aside.
  2. Make your pecan crumble first. In a bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cold butter. Use your fingers or a pastry cutter to work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in the chopped pecans. Set the bowl aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth and well combined.
  5. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix here – a few streaks of flour are totally fine.
  6. Fold in the diced apples gently until evenly distributed through the batter.
  7. Pour the batter into your prepared cast iron skillet and spread it out evenly.
  8. Crumble the pecan crumble topping evenly over the top of the batter.
  9. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. The top should be golden and the crumble should look set.
  10. Allow the cake to cool in the skillet for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

If you love baking in cast iron, my brown butter chocolate chip skillet cookie uses the same skillet and is just as fun to pull together on a weekend.

Frequently Asked Questions about Skillet Apple Coffee Cake

Can I make this in a cake pan instead of a cast iron skillet?

Yes! If you don’t have a 10-inch cast iron skillet, a 9-inch round cake pan or a 9×9 square baking pan will work. Keep an eye on the bake time as it may vary slightly – start checking at 30 minutes.

What apples work best in this recipe?

Firm apples are your best friend here. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Fuji all hold up really well when baked into the batter. Avoid softer apples like Red Delicious as they can turn too soft and watery.

Can I swap the pecans for a different nut?

Absolutely. Walnuts are a great substitute and give a similar texture and flavor to the crumble. You could also leave the nuts out entirely if you prefer a nut-free crumble topping.

Do I need to peel the apples?

I recommend peeling them for this recipe. The peel can get a little tough when baked inside the batter, so peeling gives you the best texture throughout.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes! This cast iron coffee cake is great made the night before. Store it covered at room temperature and it will be just as good the next morning. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Why is my crumble sinking into the batter?

This can happen if the batter is too thin or if the crumble pieces are very fine. Make sure your butter is cold when making the crumble, and don’t press it into the batter – just scatter it over the top and let the oven do the rest. Baking in cast iron also helps because the skillet holds heat evenly and helps the batter set from the sides in, keeping that crumble right where it belongs.

Can I add other mix-ins to this coffee cake?

Definitely. A handful of raisins, dried cranberries, or even a swirl of caramel sauce into the batter before adding the crumble would all be delicious. This recipe is really flexible and loves a little creativity. My salted caramel sauce drizzled on top right before serving would be absolutely incredible here.

For more cozy baking ideas, check out all the cake recipes on the blog – there is something for every season.

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Skillet Apple Coffee Cake with Pecan Crumble

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  • Author: Megan Keno
  • Prep Time: 25 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 40-50 Minutes
  • Total Time: 0 hours
  • Yield: 1 10″ skillet 1x
  • Category: Baking, Cake, Dessert
  • Method: Baking, Oven
  • Cuisine: American
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Ingredients

Units Scale

COFFEE CAKE CRUMBLE:

  • 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Flour
  • 2–3 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon or Apple Pie Spice
  • 1/3 cup Pecans, chopped

COFFEE CAKE:

  • 1 1/2 cups Flour
  • 1/2 Tbsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 3/4 tsp Cinnamon or Apple Pie Spice
  • 1/2 cup Sour Cream
  • 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1/4 cup Butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 cup peeled and diced Baking Apple (see note)

Instructions

COFFEE CAKE CRUMBLE:

In a large bowl combine all the ingredients. Using your fingers mash the ingredients together until the butter is nearly completely incorporated and the sugars look like wet sand. Set aside.

COFFEE CAKE:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, brown and white sugar, eggs, melted and cooled butter. Using a spatula, fold the flour mixture into the sour cream mixture until the mixture is nearly combined. There should be a couple of small streaks of flour left – that way you know you haven’t over mixed it.

Lastly, add in the diced apples and gently fold in to incorporate.

Pour into a sprayed 10” cast iron skillet. Spread out the cake out and smooth the tops. Sprinkle the pecan crumble over the top of each cake. Bake the cake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick placed in the center comes out nearly clean, with a couple of crumbs on it. Place on a wire rack to cool completely. Serve a slice with ice cream or coffee.

Notes

Use a firm baking apple like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Cosmic Crisp. If the apple is a “juicy” apple, consider sauteeing in a skillet to evaporate some of the additional moisture so it doesn’t release in the baking process.