Cake Batter Pancakes with Cinnamon Apples

Ever since being a little girl, I have had a distinct fascination with cake batter. Every time my Mom would make a cake, I was right there by her side to lick the bowl. It did not matter if it was white, chocolate or yellow cake mix – they were all delicious.

Every once in a while when we were little, my Mom would have what she called – “Dessert Dinner”. These were very rare occasions but ever so special. I believe we had these perhaps 3 to 4 times during childhood. She would make banana splits, brownies and even give us a small bowl of cake mix prior to cooking the cake. My Mom tried to make things fun, which as an adult I completely appreciate.

Some of these dessert dinners were outings to Fenton’s Creamery in North Oakland. As a family we would wait in line until a table opened up. Today, Fenton’s is still a tradition with many families and they enjoy the handcrafted ice cream. Fenton’s goes beyond ice cream, with a full restaurant menu. The classic grilled crab sandwich was a favorite among our family. We often enjoyed dinner and dessert. We always left with very full bellies but very happy.

Cake batter is still a favorite. When I saw Baking Serendipity’s post for Cake Batter Pancakes, this was something I had to make. If you have not visited Sarah’s blog, take a peek, you will enjoy. The thought of adding cake mix to pancakes was such a brilliant idea. I added a bit more vanilla and milk to the recipe and opted out of the sprinkles. Instead, I added cinnamon apples to the finished product. Next time, I am going classic old school with simple maple syrup.

Cake Batter Pancakes

1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup yellow cake mix
1 tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup milk + 2 T.

Combine flour, cake mix, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, vanilla and milk, and stir until combined. Your batter should be the consistency of regular pancake batter, so if you need to add a little more milk, go for it. Spoon onto greased griddle or large skillet and flip when the edges begin to dry, cooking evenly on both sides.

Cinnamon Apples

3 Large Apples, Granny Smith
4 T. Butter
1/3 C. Sugar
¾ t. Cinnamon
Pinch Ground Cloves
2 t. Pure Vanilla Extract
1 t. Lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Core the apples, then slice and put those slices in half. In large skillet, melt the butter, add the apples, sugar, spices and lemon juice. Cook on medium for about 3 to 5 minutes until the apples are soft yet still firm.