Skillet Cherry Chocolate Cake
It may look like an unusual cake recipe, but this Skillet Chocolate Cherry Cake will be an absolute hit with your family and friends.
Chocolate Cherry Cake
This is not my recipe. This is a rather popular cake recipe from a 1974 Pillsbury bake off contest.
The ingredients, or lack there of, for this cake may strike some as odd, but I promise it is delicious. After all, it did win a contest nearly 45 years ago.
The lack of liquid, both water and oil that you’re accustomed to using in cakes is missing, but the cherry pie filling will make this cake moist and delicious.
I used three eggs, for a more fluffy texture, but the original recipe only uses two. It’s a bit chewier with two. I love it both ways.
Can You Bake in Cast Iron?
Absolutely.
Cast iron is versatile inasmuch as it can from the stovetop right into the oven or vice versa. So there is no reason not to utilize this kitchen workhorse for baking as well.
Cast iron is also known for its even heating properties, making it ideal for all your baked goods, but only once it’s been pre-heated
Tips for Baking with Cast Iron.
Just as with all your favorite dinner recipes, using your cast iron for baking is wonderful.
Cast iron takes a bit of time to heat up properly and doesn’t do so evenly. However, once it is hot, it cooks evenly.
Pre-heating your cast iron before baking is just as important as it is for any other recipe.
It’s best to heat it gradually. When you are pre-heating your oven for baking, toss your cast iron it and allow it to come to heat with the oven. Just be careful to use oven mitts and trivets when dealing with a hot skillet.
If you’re using an heirloom piece, it might be fully seasoned to be non-stick. Perhaps you’re using a newer, pre-seasoned item, it might not have the full non-stick properties as older pieces.
When making baked goods, I still use cooking spray to ensure easy removal, particularly when I want to present the baked good outside my cast iron.
How to Make Chocolate Cherry Cake in a Skillet.
Add the cake mix to your favorite bowl, like my lovely pink one here. Add the almond extract and eggs.
I break up the eggs by starting to stir them into the dry cake mix. It will be too dry to completely incorporate, but at least the yolks will break.
Gently fold in half of the cherry pie filling. It’s really easy to break the cherries apart, so I begin with just half the can. Once it resembles batter, fold in the remaining half of cherries.
Using an electric mixer is not recommended for this cake recipe. The cherries are delicate and will be complete decimated if one is used.
I fold in half the pie filling as gently as I can, but many of the cherries will break apart. After the batter has formed, folding in the second half of the pie filling will allow the rest of the cherries to stay intact.
There’s nothing more tasty than getting a full cherry in a bite of this scrumptious cake.
Once it’s all incorporated, the batter will look rather thick, but don’t despair, it will turn out fluffy.
Pour it into your cast iron skillet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Despite our iron being well seasoned, cake can still stick if not well lubricated. You can use your favorite cooking oil instead of cooking spray.
Pop it into a pre-heated 350° oven and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Once baked, allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes before frosting.
Frost with your favorite canned frosting or even homemade. Slice and serve.
Dessert Recipes in Cast Iron
Here are some other delicious desserts made in cast iron.
- Peanut Butter Fudge
- Mary Todd Lincoln’s White Almond Cake
- Cast Iron Popovers
- Angel Food Cake
- Danish Aebleskiver
Chocolate Dessert Recipes in Cast Iron
- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Skillet Caramel Brownies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie
- Chocolate-Butterscotch Skillet Brownies
- Chocolate Lava Cakes
- Chocolate Malted Banana Bread from The Complete Savorist
Fruit Dessert Recipes in Cast Iron
- Cherry Clafoutis
- Sweet Cherry Rolls
- Apple Skillet Cake
- Iron Skillet Blackberry Cobbler
- Skillet Apple Pear Spice Cake from The Complete Savorist
Skillet Chocolate Cherry Cake
Equipment
- 12-inch cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 15.25 oz Devil's Food cake mix
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 3 eggs
- 21 oz cherry pie filling
- 16 oz prepared chocolate frosting
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350° with the skillet to preheat as well.
- Add the cake mix, eggs, and extract together in a medium sized mixing bowl and stir to break the eggs.
- Fold in half of the cherry pie filling as gently as possible.
- Once the batter has been formed, gently fold in the remaining cherry pie filling.
- With care, remove the cast iron skillet from the oven.
- Spray 11or 12” cast iron skillet with cooking spray or coat with cooking oil.
- Pour batter into the skillet to a 12″ Skillet
- Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool for at least 15 minutes.Frost with your favorite icing.
Video
Nutrition
Dutch Oven Daddy is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
This post has been updated from its original publishing with new content, clarified recipe directions, and photography.
I adore any kind of chocolate cake but am especially intrigued with the cherries in this one! Bookmarking!
Cherry and chocolate together, Oh yes! This cake was fantastic and the perfect dessert after dinner tonight! Yum!
I love the combination of chocolate and cherry and even better that it is done in a skillet.
I absolutely love cherry and chocolate together! This is my dream cake!
I actually made this one for the kids after school this afternoon. They really loved the combination of chocolate and cherries. My daughter asked that I make it again for her friends this weekend. I said yes – because I definitely want to have it again!
This cake reminded me of the chocolate-covered cherries my grandmother used to bring when she visited. I cannot wai to try it! I’ve missed that combination of flavors so much!
This cake turned out so moist and delicious, and the best part was that there wasn’t much cleanup at all. Definitely a winner.
I have never thought to use my cast iron for baking but this is so flavorful and tastes amazing!!