What’s in the Skillet? Cast Iron Skillet Cake

Cast Iron Skillet Cake.

      This is basically a variation of the classic chocolate sheet cake (sometimes called Texas Sheet Cake) but it’s prepared and baked in a cast iron skillet. I suppose you could use any skillet or even a cake pan but the 10” cast iron skillet is the perfect diameter and the cake bakes in about 18 minutes (plus I like the look of the cake baked in the rustic skillet)! 

     We served it at a gathering of college friends, including my sister and brother-in-law, and since I wanted to wait until the last minute to put it in the oven, I combined the cake’s dry ingredients ahead of time – essentially making my own cake mix. Then at the last minute I simple “threw” the ingredients together for a quick and yummy cake.

Cecil Stout (left front), Wayne Hargrove, Barry, and Rich
Gardner (right front) were all fraternity brothers at
KSU. My sister, Marlys Newell Gardner, is also pictured.

Cast Iron Skillet Cake
6 to 8 servings

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup (½ stick) butter

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup water

¼ cup buttermilk

1 egg

½ teaspoon vanilla

Nutty Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)

For serving: ice cream, chocolate sauce, chocolate mint, if desired

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, sugar, cocoa, and salt together and set aside.

Whisk the ingredients until well mixed so they won't lump when poured into the liquid ingredients.

3.  In a 10” cast iron skillet, bring the butter, vegetable oil, and water to a boil.

The skillet is used to melt the liquids and to bake the cake. One less dish to wash!

4.  Remove skillet from the heat and whisk in the dry ingredients well.

Mixing the dry ingredients into the oil mixture.

5.  Mix the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla in a small container. Temper this mixture by adding a little of the hot ingredients to the egg mixture and whisk. Once tempered, add the egg mixture to the skillet and mix thoroughly.

Add a little of the hot liquid is stirred into to the egg mixture to temper.

6.  Bake the skillet cake at 350 for about 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. 

7.  As the cake cools , make the frosting and spread over the warm cake.

8.  Serve with ice cream, chocolate sauce, and a sprig of chocolate mint if desired.

I used a mesh strainer to
"sift" the powdered sugar.

Frosting

¼ cup (½ stick) butter

2 tablespoons cocoa

3 to 4 tablespoons milk, milas needed for consistency

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

½ cup pecans, chopped

½ teaspoon vanilla

1.  In a medium saucepan, bring the butter, cocoa, and milk to a boil.

Giving the mixture a quick stir!

2.  Remove saucepan from heat and add sifted powdered sugar sugar, nuts, and vanilla.Stir to combine.

Stirring in the powdered sugar.

3.  Pour over the warm cake, spread with a spatula.

I cut the cake into wedges and served it with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce;
it is garnished with a sprig of chocolate mint. 

Recipe w/out photos . . .

Cast Iron Skillet Cake   6 to 8 servings

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup (½ stick) butter

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup water

¼ cup buttermilk

1 egg

½teaspoon vanilla

Nutty Chocolate Frosting (recipe follows)

For serving: ice cream, chocolate sauce, chocolate mint, if desired

1.  Preheat the oven to 350°.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, sugar, cocoa, and salt together and set aside.

3.  In a 10” cast iron skillet, bring the butter, vegetable oil, and water to a boil.

4.  Remove skillet from the heat and whisk in the dry ingredients well.

5.  Mix the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla in a small container. Temper this mixture by adding a little of the hot ingredients to the egg mixture and whisk. Once tempered, add the egg mixture to the skillet and mix thoroughly.

6.  Bake the skillet cake at 350 for about 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. 

7.  As the cake cools , make the frosting and spread over the warm cake.

8.  Serve with ice cream, chocolate sauce, and a sprig of chocolate mint if desired.

Frosting

¼ cup (½ stick) butter

2 tablespoons cocoa

3 to 4 tablespoons milk, as needed for consistency

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

½ cup pecans, chopped

½ teaspoon vanilla

1.  In a medium saucepan, bring the butter, cocoa, and milk to a boil.

2.  Remove saucepan from heat and add sifted powdered sugar sugar, nuts, and vanilla.Stir to combine.

3.  Pour over the warm cake, spread with a spatula.