This sweet blueberry skillet cake is a fantastic dessert, coffee cake, or even breakfast. It's a tender, dense cake, with a slightly tangy flavor, thanks to the addition of lemon and Greek yogurt. And just like with my mini skillet cookie, skillet bourbon apple crisp or grilled peach cobbler, it can be made in the oven or on the grill.
If you're wondering if it's worth it to bake a cake in a cast iron skillet, the answer is a resounding yes, for two important reasons. First, the heat retention of the skillet allows the edges of the cake to become deeply golden and crispy (the best part, IMO), while keeping the center of the cake moist and tender.
Second, your skillet is sturdy enough to go anywhere, including on the grill. And yes, you can bake a cake on the grill. In fact, there's an abundance of amazing dessert recipes you can make on the grill. So, when it's too hot to turn on that oven, but you swore you'd bring a cake to dinner, fire up the grill, and get baking. Prefer to stick with the oven? There are instructions for that, too.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's easy to make and requires minimal dishes. No stand mixer required!
- Baking in cast iron gives the blueberry skillet cake perfectly crispy edges while still keeping the center moist and tender.
- You can make it in your oven or on the grill, making it ideal for those days when it's too hot to turn on the oven.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Butter--I use unsalted butter for baking since the salt levels in salted butter can vary. If you're substituting salted butter, reduce the amount of salt in the recipe to ¼ teaspoon.
- Milk--You can make this with regular or your favorite non-dairy milk.
- Yogurt--I developed this recipe using plain Greek yogurt, but you can substitute full fat regular yogurt, or sour cream.
- Lemon zest--This lends the cake a little tartness to balance the sweetness and lemon pairs wonderfully with blueberries.
- Blueberries--Both fresh and frozen blueberries work well in this recipe. If your berries are frozen, don't thaw them. Just toss them into the batter frozen.
How to Bake a Cake in a Cast Iron Skillet
- Butter a 12-inch cast iron skillet. (Seasoning your cast iron will keep it mostly nonstick, but a little extra butter in the pan ensures that it releases cleanly.)
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until they're just combined.
- Fold the blueberries into the cake batter.
- Bake in a 375°F oven or covered grill until the cake is golden and a tester comes out clean.
Baking a Cake on the Grill
Using a grill to bake a cake isn't complicated, as long as you remember a few key things. We're treating the grill like an oven, so it needs to remain covered as much as possible. That means no peeking! Only open the lid to check on it when it's getting close to the 30 minute mark.
The other critical thing to remember is that the skillet needs to be over indirect heat. Any direct flame under your skillet is going to result in a burned cake. Ideally, you want low heat on either side of your skillet, but if your grill isn't large enough to accommodate this, heat the burner on one side of the grill, place the skillet on the other side, and turn it once during baking.
FAQs
No. Dump cakes don't require any mixing and are made in one dish. This requires a couple of bowls, as well as a skillet, and you do need to mix the ingredients together.
You can, but be aware that the baking time will be different. If you use a smaller (10-inch) skillet, take care to not overfill it. The cooking time will be a little longer. If you use a larger skillet, you'll get a thinner cake, which will cook faster.
This cast iron skillet dessert can be served on its own, with a dusting of powdered sugar, or your can get a little fancy and top it with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Tips and Troubleshooting
- If you're concerned about the cake sticking to the skillet, you can line it with parchment. If you're baking the cake on the grill, make sure there is no paper hanging over the edges as it could ignite.
- Avoid lifting the lid on the grill as much as possible as the temperature will fluctuate each time it's opened.
- I find that it typically takes a little longer to bake the cake on the grill than in the oven.
Storage Instructions
The cake can be stored at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap or foil for up to 3 days. The cake will lose its crispiness along the edges as it sits, but it will still be delicious.
More Dessert Recipes You'll Love
Tried This Recipe?
If you've tried this recipe, please leave a comment below. Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest for more great camping and grilling recipes.
Recipe
Cast Iron Skillet Blueberry Cake
Equipment
- 12-inch cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter melted, plus more for the skillet
- 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven or grill to 375°F. If using a grill, prepare it for indirect cooking. (I use two low burners on either side of the grill.)
- Butter a 12-inch cast iron skillet well, making sure it's completely coated.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, combine the melted butter, eggs, milk, yogurt, lemon zest, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until they're combined and no dry patches remain. The batter will be thick.
- Fold in the blueberries. Spread the batter in the prepared skillet.
- Bake the cake in the oven, or in a covered grill over indirect heat until the cake is golden and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. If using a grill, adjust the burners as needed to maintain temperature, and avoid opening the lid frequently. If using a grill with burners lit on only one side of the grill, rotate the skillet once during baking.
- Let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
-
- Using parchment--If you're concerned about the cake sticking to the skillet, you can line it with parchment. If you're baking the cake on the grill, make sure there is no paper hanging over the edges as it could ignite.
- Don't peek!--Avoid lifting the lid on the grill as much as possible as the temperature will fluctuate each time it's opened.
- Timing--I find that it typically takes a little longer to bake the cake on the grill than in the oven.
- Storage--Store the cake, loosely covered with plastic, at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Nancy Garcia says
Amazing! This recipe is ridiculously easy and turns out perfectly. I have always resisted doing any type of baking on the grill until tonight. This cake has such a tender crumb, which I didn't expect for something cooked on a grill. I will definitely be making this again and doubling the recipe because it isn't going to last long around here!
Angie Zoobkoff says
Thank you, Nancy! I'm delighted that you enjoyed it.