Apple Pancake

This is a baked apple pancake, not a stovetop one. Sliced apples layered in a buttered pan, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, then covered in a thin egg batter that bakes into a golden, puffy shell with crisp edges and a custardy center.

The batter is bare-bones simple: one egg, milk, flour, a pinch of salt, and a touch of sugar. Let it rest for 15 minutes before pouring. That rest lets the flour fully hydrate, which means a smoother batter and a more tender pancake.

The apples go in first, fanned across the bottom of the greased pan with cinnamon sugar and dots of margarine on top. As the pancake bakes, the apples soften in their own juices and the sugar caramelizes underneath. When you serve it (flipped or straight from the pan), those apples are tender and slightly jammy.

Bake until the edges are light brown and crisp, about 35 minutes. The center will still be soft and almost custard-like, which is exactly right. Don’t wait for the middle to firm up like a regular pancake or the edges will burn.

Kitchen Tips

• Let the batter rest the full 15 minutes. Skipping this gives you a lumpy, uneven pancake.
• Slice the apple thin and even so every piece cooks at the same rate.
• Grease the pan well. The sugar in the topping will cement itself to an ungreased surface.
• Serve immediately. Like a Dutch baby, this deflates as it cools and loses its puffy drama.

Variations

• Use a firm baking apple like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. Softer varieties turn to mush.
• Add a tablespoon of vanilla extract to the batter for extra warmth.
• Top with a dusting of powdered sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice for a brighter finish.