// Define rootController as a UINavigationController, then...:

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions
{    
	// Sets up toolbar above splitview
	rootController.navigationBar.hidden = YES;	

	CGFloat width = rootController.view.frame.size.width;	
	
	NSArray *nib = [[NSBundle mainBundle] loadNibNamed:@"toolbar" owner:self options:nil];
	toolbar = (Toolbar *)[nib objectAtIndex:0];
	toolbar.frame = CGRectMake(0,20,width,TOOLBAR_HEIGHT);	
	[rootController.view addSubview:toolbar];
	
	NSMutableArray *array = [NSMutableArray array];
	
	UISplitViewController *splitViewConntroller = [[UISplitViewController alloc] init];
	
	leftViewController = [[LeftViewController alloc] initWithNibName:@"LeftViewController" bundle:nil];	
	[array addObject:leftViewController];
	
	rightViewController = [[RightViewController alloc] initWithNibName:@"RightViewController" bundle:nil];	
	[array addObject:rightViewController];	
	
	[splitViewConntroller setViewControllers:array];

	[rootController setViewControllers:[NSArray arrayWithObject:splitViewConntroller]];
	[splitViewConntroller release];
    
	[window addSubview:rootController.view];
        [window makeKeyAndVisible];
    
        return YES;
}

// Define rootController as a UINavigationController, then...:

- (BOOL)application:(UIApplication *)application didFinishLaunchingWithOptions:(NSDictionary *)launchOptions
{    
	// Sets up toolbar above splitview
	rootController.navigationBar.hidden = YES;	

	CGFloat width = rootController.view.frame.size.width;	
	
	NSArray *nib = [[NSBundle mainBundle] loadNibNamed:@"toolbar" 
												 owner:self options:nil];
	toolbar = (Toolbar *)[nib objectAtIndex:0];
	toolbar.frame = CGRectMake(0,20,width,TOOLBAR_HEIGHT);	
	[rootController.view addSubview:toolbar];	
	[self refreshToolbar:application.statusBarOrientation];
	
	NSMutableArray *array = [NSMutableArray array];
	
	UISplitViewController *splitViewConntroller = [[UISplitViewController alloc] init];
	
	leftViewController = [[LeftViewController alloc] initWithNibName:@"LeftViewController" bundle:nil];	
	[array addObject:leftViewController];
	
	rightViewController = [[RightViewController alloc] initWithNibName:@"RightViewController" bundle:nil];	
	[array addObject:rightViewController];	
	
	[splitViewConntroller setViewControllers:array];

	[rootController setViewControllers:[NSArray arrayWithObject:splitViewConntroller]];
	[splitViewConntroller release];
    
	[window addSubview:rootController.view];
        [window makeKeyAndVisible];
    
        return YES;
}

As default UISplitViewController has to be the root controller. In this snippet, you can have one as a child of a UINavigationController and also an UIToolbar above the SplitViewController! The same as Epicurious app for iPad.

Toolbar above UISplitViewController and UISplitViewController as child of UINavigationController

Objective C