A puffed oven pancake baked right over a layer of apples caramelized in brown sugar, going from stovetop to oven in one pan. The caramel base gives it a deeper, more toffee-like flavor than a plain buttered-apple version.
This style of pancake belongs to the same American "Dutch baby" tradition that traces back to Manca's Cafe in Seattle in the early 1900s, where the dish was adapted from the German Pfannkuchen — the "Dutch" in the name is generally credited to a mispronunciation of "Deutsch."
Caramelizing sugar in the pan before adding fruit, as this version does, borrows a technique more associated with French tarte tatin, where fruit is cooked in caramel before the pastry or batter goes on top; pairing that caramelization step with a puffed egg batter is what distinguishes this version from a simpler sautéed-apple approach.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and sliced ½ inch thick
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Preheat the DaTerra 11" Frying Pan fully, empty and dry, then add the brown sugar and water. Heat over medium, stirring, until the sugar dissolves and just starts to caramelize, 2 to 5 minutes, watching closely so it doesn't burn.
- Add the butter, apples, cinnamon, and lemon juice, and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples soften, about 3 minutes. Spread the apples in an even layer and remove the pan from the heat.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
- Whisk the egg yolks with the milk and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar in a measuring cup.
- Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Beat the egg whites with a handheld electric mixer at medium speed until firm peaks form, about 2 minutes.
- Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter, then pour it over the apples in the pan, spreading it evenly to the edges.
- Bake in the upper third of the oven for about 20 minutes, until the pancake is golden, puffed, and set.
- Let the pancake cool for 5 minutes, then invert it onto a serving plate, replacing any apples that may have stuck to the pan.
- Cut into wedges and serve at once.
- Good on its own, but a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream plays nicely against the caramel.
COOK'S NOTE
Watch the sugar and water closely once they hit the pan — the caramel can go from golden to burnt in under a minute. Pull the pan off the heat as soon as it's amber-colored, since it will keep darkening slightly from residual heat before the apples go in.
FEATURED DATERRA PRODUCT
11" Frying Pan
Caramelizing sugar directly in the pan, then cooking the apples and baking the batter in that same pan, means the DaTerra 11" Frying Pan's oven-safe, ceramic non-stick surface carries the dish from stovetop to oven to table without a single transfer.
11" Frying Pan
