- Prep Time: 20m
- Cook Time: 40m
- Total Time: 1h
- Serves: 2 Love Birds
Ingredients
Skillet Cake
- 300 grams flour (2 1/2 cups)
- 132 grams sugar (1/2 cups)
- 12 grams baking powder (2 tsp.)
- 6 grams baking soda (1 tsp.)
- 4 grams cinnamon (1 tsp.)
- 12 grams ginger (3 tsp.)
- 4 grams salt (1/2 tsp.)
- 135 grams butter (9 tbsp.)
- 60 milliliters molasses (1/4 cup)
- 1 egg
- 125 milliliters buttermilk (1/2 cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toppings
- 65 grams sugar (1/4 cup)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Brandy Whip Cream
- 250 milliliters heavy cream (1 cup/8.5oz.)
- 30 grams powdered sugar (1/4 cup)
- 1 tablespoon cognac brandy
Brandy Strawberry Sauce
- 6 strawberries
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon cognac brandy
Instructions
- I know there are a lot of ingredients, but believe me this is a simple recipe. Preheat oven to 200˚C/400˚F. Butter sides of 20cm/8in. cast iron skillet and set aside. Grab two medium sized bowls and separate the skillet cake ingredients, dry from wet.
- In one of the bowls whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt together.
- In the other bowl cream the butter and sugar using an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, or by hand if you want to have sore arms for the rest of the evening.
- Using a spatula, combine the molasses, egg, buttermilk and vanilla together with the creamed butter and sugar.
- Using a sifter, fold the flour mixture with the spatula into the liquids 1/2 cup at a time. This requires using two hands, similar to patting your head and rubbing your belly at the same time. If you do not possess these skills, try a sifting, then folding, then sifting approach.
- Keep folding batter until it forms a wet ball, using the spatula to scrap the sides of the bowl. Scoop batter into the pre-buttered skillet. You can use the tip of the spatula to smooth out the top. Mix the 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon together and use the sifter again to cover the top of the batter with a generous layer of sugary goodness.
- Place skillet on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, stabbing it with a toothpick every so often to impatiently check if it is ready. If the toothpick comes out clean then it should be cooked through, however that little bastard can be deceptive sometimes so I would give it a couple of stabs just to be sure. Better to be safe then sorry, I say.
- While your skillet cake is baking, you can prepare the toppings.
- For the brandy strawberry sauce, heat up a small fry pan on a medium heat. Slice the strawberries, removing the tops, and simmer in the pan with the butter, brown sugar and brandy for around 10-15 minutes.
- For the brandy whip cream, place all the ingredients in a bowl, using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, whip until peaks form.
- At this point you may still have some time before your cake is fully baked. I suggest pouring a glass of that cognac, because so far you have only used 2 tbsp. from the bottle and it would be sad to see the rest go back to the shelf on such a fine evening. If you want you could even share with your significant other (optional).
- Once skillet cake is done and a toothpick has indeed been inserted and removed clean, let the cake cool. You could turn out the cake onto another serving plate or top the cake with the whip cream and the brandy strawberry sauce while the cake is still in the skillet. Grab two forks and enjoy.