There are cakes with layers upon layers and perfectly piped frosting, but this is not that kind of cake. No, this is an ‘everyday’ kind of cake. The kind of cake that you mix up quick and then bake in a single dish (in this case a skillet), but thanks to its fruit-studded nature, a kiss of Kentucky bourbon, and crackly sugared top, it doesn’t taste any less special.

It’s a moist cake, with a crumb that’s sweet but backed up by a bit of yogurt tang. There are sliced apples running throughout to lend some sweetness too, but they don’t stop there. See, those apples (and a handful of pecans) are left to soak in a weensy bit of bourbon while you make up the batter and when you’ve come back to stir them in, they’ve absorbed all of that caramel oakiness. It runs throughout every bit of the cake, but the baking mellows it so its bite is never sharp.

It’s a cake with a rustic flair, so there’s no need for carefully arranging apple slices in concentric circles here. Just spread the batter into that skillet and sprinkle the top with plenty of sugar. When it bakes, some of the sugar dissolves and forms itself into a delicate crackle topping while some remains as a snowy, sugar dusting.

Would a regular cake pan work fine? Sure, it’ll do. But a well-loved skillet seems to add a little bit of flavor and a little bit of country flair that are hard to come by any other way. And you can thank it for the sugary crunch that helps make this little cake so special.