Got a Skillet? Then Let’s Bake a Cake

Do you have a cast iron skillet among your pots and pans? I do, and I have to admit that I have a love/hate relationship with it. The thing is heavy! I can barely lift the nine-inch one with one hand. And cleaning them is something else. You’re not supposed to use soap—just scrape, rinse and dry immediately. Don’t leave it wet or you risk rust! It should be stored seasoned with a little neutral oil (like avocado) and covered in parchment so it doesn’t mess up your other pans.

BUT– The way a cast iron skillet cooks food is wonderful. It holds the heat evenly and in foods like meat, chicken, or cakes and breads, it creates an appealing crust on the outside while the inside is moist and flavorful. Another good thing about a cast iron skillet is that you can sear food in it on the stovetop, then finish it in the oven. It even transfers a small amount of iron into the food, and that’s a healthy thing. Iron is an essential mineral that helps transport oxygen around the body and keeps cells healthy. There are all-clad pans with metal handles that can also go from stovetop into the oven, but there’s something about a cast iron skillet that magically makes food delicious.

Did you ever think of baking cakes in an iron skillet? Why not? Especially ones that are a little on the coarse side like cornbread or carrot cake. A cake served from a skillet makes a great presentation. Make certain to spray the skillet with Non-stick baking spray and coat with melted butter so your cake doesn’t stick.

Mixed-Berry Grunt

This is a classic American-style dessert that can be made with a variety of summer’s berries. A grunt, sometimes called a slump, combines fruit stew and a fluffy dough topping, in this case, with the tang of buttermilk.

Ingredients
Serves 8
2 lb. fresh mixed berries, such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries
¼ cup sugar plus 2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. water
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
Pinch of Coarse salt to taste
½ cup plus 2 Tbs low-fat buttermilk
2 Tbs. butter, melted
⅛ tsp. ground cinnamon mixed with 1 tsp. sugar

Directions
1. Cook the berries with 1/4 cup sugar, the water, and lemon juice in a cast-iron skillet set over a campfire or medium heat on the stovetop until thickened, 8-to-12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1/4 tsp. salt, and remaining 2 Tbs. sugar. Add buttermilk and butter; stir until a moist dough forms.
3. Spoon 6 dollops of dough over the fruit. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar over dough.
4. Cover the skillet tightly with parchment-lined foil. Cook until dumplings are set and tops are dry, about 20 minutes.

Hot Honey and Sage Skillet Cornbread

This is a non-yeast bread that packs the irresistible combination of sweet heat.

Ingredients
Serves 6-8
1 ¼ cups coarse yellow cornmeal
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup chopped fresh sage leaves
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. coarse salt
½ tsp. baking soda
1 stick plus 2 Tbs butter, divided
¼ cup whole milk
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 large eggs
2 Tbs. cup honey
2 Tbs. hot honey (such as Mike’s)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven until hot, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together cornmeal, flour, sugar, sage, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Melt 1 stick butter, and whisk together with milk, buttermilk, eggs, and honey. Whisk milk mixture into the cornmeal mixture until just combined.
3. Remove skillet from the oven, add the remaining 2 Tbs. butter, and swirl to coat the skillet thoroughly. Pour in batter, and bake until cornbread is golden, 20 to 22 minutes. Let cool about 20 minutes before cutting into wedges. Serve warm.

Mango Upside-Down Corn Cake

Cornbread meets the tropics in this cakey bread (or bready cake).

Ingredients
Serves 8
1 ripe mango, peeled and sliced
½ lb. butter, room temperature plus 2 Tbs butter
1¼ cup lightly packed brown sugar plus 2 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
3 eggs
½ cup whole or low-fat milk
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cardamom
Pinch of sea salt

Directions
1. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F.
2. On the stovetop at low heat, melt 2 Tbs of the butter with 2 Tbs. of the brown sugar. Arrange the mango slices from the center, out, like a flower. Cook the mango for about five minutes, making certain the sugar and butter don’t burn; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, and a pinch of sea salt; set aside.
4. Beat the remaining butter and brown sugar in a mixer at medium speed until creamy and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time until smooth. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add in half the dry ingredients and beat well until thoroughly mixed. Beat in the milk and the rest of the dry ingredients.
5. Spoon the batter into the skillet with the sugar, butter, and mango, starting from the center, out.
6. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25-30 minutes until a wooden toothpick or skewer comes out clean.
7. Remove the skillet from the oven and let rest on a rack for 10 minutes. Invert the mango corncake onto a serving platter and serve warm.

Oven Baked Blueberry Pancake

Why stand at the stove flipping one pancake after another when you can mix the batter, pour it into a skillet, and pop it in the oven? Slice it into wedges for serving—everyone gets their portion at the same time. The blueberries are loaded with vitamins and antioxidants, so this is a healthy indulgence.

Ingredients
Serves 4
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. sea salt
¾ cup whole milk
1 large egg, room temperature
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted, plus 2 Tbs for the pan
1 cup blueberries (about 5 ounces)
Confectioners’ sugar, for serving
Maple syrup, for serving

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F with the rack in the upper third. Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven. Whisk together flour, 3 Tbs. granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together milk, egg, and melted butter in another bowl. Whisk milk mixture into flour mixture until just combined.
2. Remove the skillet from the oven and add the remaining 2 Tbs. of butter, swirling to coat. Pour in batter and smooth top with an offset spatula. Sprinkle evenly with blueberries and remaining 1 tsp. granulated sugar.
3. Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 18-22 minutes. Remove from the oven; let cool for 5 minutes before dusting with confectioners’ sugar and serving with syrup.