Grandma Bastow's Skillet Cake

Name: Grandma Bastow's Skillet Cake
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 8-12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 c butter; 2 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate; 2 eggs, unbeaten; 1 c all-purpose flour; 1 c sugar; 1 tsp baking soda; 1 c buttermilk; 1 tsp vanilla; INGREDIENTS FOR FROSTING; 4 c powdered sugar; 1 stick butter; 1/8 tsp salt; 1 tsp vanilla; 1/4 tsp almond extract; 5-6 Tbsp heavy whipping cream (or more if needed)

By Pat Spencer
@whatyagotcookin

This recipe came from my husband's grandmother in Kansas. He loved it enough to ask her for the recipe and he passed it on to me so I could make it for him too. This cake is very moist and the almond flavored icing tops it off perfectly.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

If you're looking for a homemade moist chocolate cake, Grandma Bastow's is it! It's a light chocolate cake that's extremely soft. You'd never guess it was made in a cast iron skillet. The creamy frosting adds a little touch of sophistication and an extra sweet touch to an already impressive cake. The skillet is so rustic and cute, you could skip flipping it out of the pan and serve it directly from the skillet. It would make a great conversation piece for guests.

Note: In the end, we used 9 Tbsp of cream to make a spreadable frosting. The Test Kitchen

Rating:

★★★★★ 2 votes5

Comments:

15 Comments

Serves:

8-12

Prep:

35 Min

Cook:

45 Min

Method:

Bake

Ingredients

1/2 c

butter
2 oz

semi-sweet baking chocolate
2

eggs, unbeaten
1 c

all-purpose flour
1 c

sugar
1 tsp

baking soda
1 c

buttermilk
1 tsp

vanilla
INGREDIENTS FOR FROSTING
4 c

powdered sugar
1 stick

butter
1/8 tsp

salt
1 tsp

vanilla
1/4 tsp

almond extract
5-6 Tbsp

heavy whipping cream (or more if needed)
Add Ingredients to Grocery List

How to Make Grandma Bastow's Skillet Cake

Step-by-Step

To make the cake, pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
Put butter and chocolate baking squares in a 9" WELL SEASONED cast iron skillet.
Place skillet in oven and allow butter and chocolate to melt.
Remove skillet from oven.
Stir butter and chocolate together. Set aside to cool (about 20 minutes).
When pan has cooled, add two unbeaten eggs to chocolate/butter mixture and stir slightly with a wire whisk.
In separate bowl, sift together flour, sugar, and baking soda.
Alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the chocolate mixture in the skillet stirring with wire whisk until thoroughly blended.
Then add the vanilla.
Place skillet in the oven and cook for 35 minutes.
Remove skillet from oven and place on cooling rack for 10 minutes.
If your skillet has not been seasoned well, the cake may stick. If it feels like it has stuck to the skillet, loosen the cake from the edges with a knife.
Run a large spatula between the cake and the pan on the underneath side to loosen it before inverting it onto the serving platter.
Invert the cake onto a serving platter and let cake cool before adding frosting (about an hour).
To make the frosting, cream one-third of the powdered sugar with the butter with electric mixer.
Blend in vanilla and almond extract.
Add 2 tablespoons of the cream and blend well.
Add the remaining sugar to the mixture.
Gradually add more cream.
Continue mixing until the frosting has the desired spreading consistency.
Spread on cooled cake.
Shave some chocolate almond bark or chocolate candy bar onto the top of the frosting for a beautiful finish to this cake.