Published January 1, 2003.
The perfect German apple pancake recipe should produce a pancake with crisp, lighter-than-air edges and a custardlike center, with buttery sautéed apples baked right into the batter. To give the pancake a rich flavor without sacrificing the texture, we used half-and-half in the batter. Granny Smith apples provided a perfect balance of sweetness and tartness. Cutting the apples into 1/2-inch-thick pieces kept them from turning mushy, and cooking them in brown sugar with cinnamon and lemon juice made them at once earthy and bright. Baking at a high heat initially gave the batter the quick rise it needed, and then turning the heat to a more moderate temperature cooked the pancake to perfection.
A 10-inch ovenproof skillet is necessary for this recipe; we highly recommend using a nonstick skillet for the sake of easy cleanup, but a regular skillet will work as well. You can also use a cast-iron pan; if you do, set the oven temperature to 425 degrees in step 1, and when cooking the apples in step 3, cook them only until just barely golden, about 6 minutes. Cast iron retains heat better than stainless steel, making the higher oven temperature unnecessary. If you prefer tart apples, use Granny Smiths; if you prefer sweet ones, use Braeburns. For serving, dust the apple pancake with confectioners' sugar and pass warm maple syrup or caramel sauce (recipe linked) separately, if desired.
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