BUTTERMILK SKILLET CAKE

You guys, I have found the secret to eating cake for breakfast. It is this cake. It’s half scone, half cake, half fabulous. Three halves. Food math.

You wanna impress someone for brunch? BOOM. Cake, in a cast iron pan, that can be eaten before noon. Total crowd pleaser. Unless that crowd’s vegan.

This was the cake I needed to have that led to me buying a cast iron skillet that led me to trying to season it that led to a breakdown then a price is right redemption that led to this post.

All that trouble was definitely worth it. The only thing I did differently from Joy was not roast the strawberries because I’m incredibly impatient and needed the cake right away. I have no doubt that roasting the strawberries makes an excellent cake.

I also have no doubt that using other fruits, whatever’s in season, would make an amazing treat all throughout the year. There might be a roasted pear and chocolate combo happening based off a Smitten Kitchen scone my friend Anna made for a brunch that I still kind of have cravings for. A lot.

The consistency is a crazy combo of scone and cake and is dense and delicious. I will have a real life confession right now and say I might have undercooked the cake just a tad so pictures of single slices really didn’t happen. Real talk.

Also the consistency of the batter might make you go whaat?! but just trust me, it’ll all work out. It’ll be okay.

Just go out and buy a cast iron skillet and make this cake, okay?

Buttermilk Skillet Cake
From Joy the Baker

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 T aluminum-free baking powder

1/2 c white granulated sugar

1/2 t salt

2 large eggs

1 1/2 c buttermilk

1/4 c unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 t pure vanilla extract

8oz (1/2 lb) strawberries, hulled and halved.

2-3 tablespoons turbinado (crunchy) sugar for topping (look for this in the bulk section if it’s not something you use often)

If you want to roast your strawberries, follow Joy’s instructions.

Preheat oven to 400 and grease up a cast iron skillet. I used a 10″ one, Joy’s is 11.

In one bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.

In another combine the eggs, buttermilk, butter, and vanilla.

Combine the dry into the wet and stir until just combined and there’s no major lumps.

Scrape it all into the prepared cast iron skillet and top with those strawberries in whatever pattern your heart desires. Sprinkle evenly with the turbinado sugar to get a nice crunchy topping.

Bake for 20-30 min. depending on the size of your skillet. Joy said 23 min was perfect for her skillet and since I had a 10″ skillet mine was a little fatty fatty two by four and it should have cooked for probably closer to 30. I went in for 25 and I had a small amount in the center that wasn’t cooked. Shit happens.

I would suggest serving with some vanilla yogurt for breakfast/brunch or some vanilla ice cream if you’re going the dessert route.

And like I mentioned above this cake is the perfect base for almost any fruits. Go ahead and get crazy. Then let me know about it.