Rustic Cast Iron Rhubarb Cake Recipe

2 days ago

There’s something deeply nostalgic about baking in a cast iron skillet, and this Rhubarb Skillet Cake from Cedar and Salt: Vancouver Island Recipes from Forest, Farm, Field, and Sea by DL Acken and Emily Lycopolus captures that feeling perfectly. Inspired by campfire cooking and designed for oven or open-fire baking, this easy one-pan dessert combines warming spices, tender crumb, and the tart sweetness of fresh rhubarb. Whether you’re at home or deep in the woods, this rustic yet refined cake makes the most of summer’s most beloved vegetable. Sub in seasonal fruit if rhubarb isn’t in season—but we recommend you make it while you can.

Rhubarb Skillet Cake

serves 6–8

INGREDIENTS

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more butter for buttering the skillet
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1 large egg
2/3 cup milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
10–12 fresh stalks of rhubarb, trimmed

RECIPE

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 9-inch cast iron skillet.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Make a well in the centre.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and vanilla. As you whisk, slowly drizzle in the melted butter to combine. Add this milk mixture to the dry ingredients and stir lightly, just to combine.
Pour the batter into the prepared skillet. Cut the rhubarb stalks to fit your pan and lay them on top of the cake batter. Push down very lightly, just enough to embed them but not submerge them.
Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool. Serve directly from the pan. This will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days.