001 / 100 · Slow Morning Comforts
Apple-Oat Griddle Cakes with Warm Maple Apples
12 small cakes and about 1 cup warm maple apples Active 25 min Total 40 min
A good oat cake has a tender middle and a thin, golden edge. These get both from a brief rest for the batter and a steady, moderate griddle. Grated apple disappears into the cakes, while a second apple becomes a warm, spoonable topping with maple syrup. The two treatments give you apple flavor in every bite without a thick layer of syrup. Make the topping first; it can sit quietly over very low heat while the cakes finish.
Give the oats a little time
Quick oats soften during the ten-minute batter rest and leave small, pleasant flecks rather than a coarse chew. Old-fashioned rolled oats can work if you pulse them briefly in a food processor first. Avoid steel-cut oats here: they need a different cooking method. The batter should fall from a spoon in a thick ribbon. A dry, floury mound means it needs the extra tablespoon or two of milk specified below.
A quieter griddle makes better cakes
An overhot pan browns the outside before the apple-rich middle cooks through. Start at medium-low, then adjust after the first cake. Look for a mostly matte edge and several open bubbles before turning. Pressing with the spatula squeezes out the light texture, so give each cake one gentle turn. Divide the warm apples across the plates rather than piling them all on one stack; every serving should get the same sweet finish.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (70 g) quick-cooking oats
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup (240 ml) milk, plus 1–2 tablespoons if needed
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, plus 2 teaspoons for the pan
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 medium apples (about 360 g total), peeled and cored, divided
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Set out
Large mixing bowl, Box grater, 12-inch nonstick skillet or griddle, Small saucepan, Wide spatula
Allergens
Wheat, milk, egg. Check ingredient labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Whisk the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. In a second bowl, whisk the egg, 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons oil, and vanilla.
- Grate one apple on the large holes of a box grater. Stir the wet mixture and grated apple into the dry ingredients just until no dry flour remains. Rest for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cut the second apple into 1/2-inch dice. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced apple and water; cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir the maple syrup and lemon juice into the apples. Simmer uncovered for 3–5 minutes, until the fruit is tender and the syrup lightly coats a spoon. Keep warm.
- Heat the skillet over medium-low and brush with a little of the remaining 2 teaspoons oil. If the rested batter is too thick to spread slowly, stir in 1–2 tablespoons milk.
- Use a scant 1/4 cup batter per cake, cooking 3–4 at a time without crowding. Cook for 2–3 minutes, until the edges look set and bubbles remain open on top. Turn and cook another 2 minutes, until the centers are cooked through. Repeat, lightly oiling the pan as needed.
- Divide the 12 cakes among 4 plates and spoon the warm maple apples over them. Serve immediately.
A useful detail
A small cake from the first batch is your heat check: split it and make sure the middle is fluffy and cooked, then adjust the burner before cooking the rest.
Make it your own
- Replace the cinnamon with 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom for a floral apple topping.
- Use a pear for the cooked topping while keeping the grated apple in the batter.
Keep it well
Refrigerate cakes and topping separately within 2 hours, in covered containers at 40°F/4°C or below, for up to 3 days. Freeze cakes in a single layer, then bag, for up to 2 months. Reheat cakes and apples until steaming hot, 165°F/74°C.