skillet cake

Strawberry Almond Skillet Cake

Strawberry Almond Skillet Cake Recipe A tangy, fluffy sour cream and vanilla cake baked in a cast iron skillet with juicy strawberries, sliced almonds, and a sprinkle of sugar. This is a simple, quick and fast recipe that is easy to put together and can be made ahead. This cake is served with whipped cream and is dusted with powdered sugar. Bake this Southern- style cake for summer parties, bbq, and gatherings. Substitute the sour cream with buttermilk if desired. Wood and Spoon Blog Recipe

I am beyond thrilled to share today’s recipe with you. Yes, it’s delicious. Yes, it’s quick and filled with fresh summer produce. And yes, this is a treat that you can eat for dessert or breakfast and absolutely no one will judge you. You have my permission to make and consume the entirety of this simple and fabulous strawberry almond skillet cake, completely free of guilt or regret. You’re welcome.

I’m sharing today’s recipe in collaboration with a whole bunch of lovely bloggers who are participating in the Virtual Midsummer Potluck for Peace. Saghar of Lab Noon coordinated this round-up of recipes in an effort to cultivate support and unity within the blogging community. At a time in history when there’s so much garbage out there- unrest, hatred, and downright ugliness- it’s things like togetherness, sharing, and kindness that serve as beacons of hope.

Strawberry Almond Skillet Cake Recipe A tangy, fluffy sour cream and vanilla cake baked in a cast iron skillet with juicy strawberries, sliced almonds, and a sprinkle of sugar. This is a simple, quick and fast recipe that is easy to put together and can be made ahead. This cake is served with whipped cream and is dusted with powdered sugar. Bake this Southern- style cake for summer parties, bbq, and gatherings. Substitute the sour cream with buttermilk if desired. Wood and Spoon Blog Recipe

Isn’t that one of the beautiful things about food?

It brings people together. Inviting someone to your table to share a meal is an investment. It’s a symbol of welcoming and belonging. It indicates value because your time and energy spent in the kitchen and around the table has worth. And in a world with millions of different types of people, all coming from different cultures with their own stories, I believe that the sharing of food, the breaking of bread, is also an invitation to understanding. It’s an open door, a welcome mat, for that person to enter your world, taste it, and experience the flavors and sounds and feelings it has to offer. Food is so experiential, and when we share bits of ourselves across a table with a meal and the conversation that follows, we learn more about the people we’re with and the stuff that makes up the fabric of their being.

Strawberry Almond Skillet Cake Recipe A tangy, fluffy sour cream and vanilla cake baked in a cast iron skillet with juicy strawberries, sliced almonds, and a sprinkle of sugar. This is a simple, quick and fast recipe that is easy to put together and can be made ahead. This cake is served with whipped cream and is dusted with powdered sugar. Bake this Southern- style cake for summer parties, bbq, and gatherings. Substitute the sour cream with buttermilk if desired. Wood and Spoon Blog Recipe

Strawberry Almond Skillet Cake

This strawberry almond skillet cake is a taste of my home. It’s a sweet, vanilla scented, slightly tangy sour cream cake with juicy strawberries and crunchy bits of sliced almonds. A simple cake with no frills, all baked up in a Southern-style cast iron skillet.

This is the kind of cake we’d share if you came over to visit on a summer afternoon. We’d sit on a blanket in the backyard and nibble on squares of cake served on paper napkins. We’d eat this cake on a Saturday morning with our second cup of coffee, something like a second breakfast or a prelude to lunch. It’s the kind of cake we’d trim bits off of late in the evening to enjoy with spoonfuls of vanilla ice cream straight from the carton. This strawberry almond skillet cake is the fuss-free kind of cake that you can serve all the time, and if you’re anything like me, it’s the kind of cake that just tastes like home.

Strawberry Almond Skillet Cake Recipe A tangy, fluffy sour cream and vanilla cake baked in a cast iron skillet with juicy strawberries, sliced almonds, and a sprinkle of sugar. This is a simple, quick and fast recipe that is easy to put together and can be made ahead. This cake is served with whipped cream and is dusted with powdered sugar. Bake this Southern- style cake for summer parties, bbq, and gatherings. Substitute the sour cream with buttermilk if desired. Wood and Spoon Blog Recipe

Strawberry Almond Skillet Cake Recipe A tangy, fluffy sour cream and vanilla cake baked in a cast iron skillet with juicy strawberries, sliced almonds, and a sprinkle of sugar. This is a simple, quick and fast recipe that is easy to put together and can be made ahead. This cake is served with whipped cream and is dusted with powdered sugar. Bake this Southern- style cake for summer parties, bbq, and gatherings. Substitute the sour cream with buttermilk if desired. Wood and Spoon Blog Recipe

Making the Cake

The preparation of this strawberry almond skillet cake is rather simple. First, butter and sugar gets creamed together until fluffy. Then we add an egg and vanilla. Next, the dry ingredients get folded in, alternating with creamy dollops of sour cream. The finished batter spreads into a buttered cast iron skillet.  Finally, the strawberries rest on top of the batter finishing the cake with a sprinkling of sugar and sliced almonds. While it bakes, the cake will fluff and rise, turning a golden brown while the strawberries soften and render their juices.

After the cake is completed and cooled, the thick slices are ready for serving. I prefer to enjoy this cake slightly warmed with a spoonful of whipped cream, but certainly you can skip that part. So long as your berries are ripe and sweet, this cake needs no added touch- just a fork and a friend to share it with.

Strawberry Almond Skillet Cake Recipe A tangy, fluffy sour cream and vanilla cake baked in a cast iron skillet with juicy strawberries, sliced almonds, and a sprinkle of sugar. This is a simple, quick and fast recipe that is easy to put together and can be made ahead. This cake is served with whipped cream and is dusted with powdered sugar. Bake this Southern- style cake for summer parties, bbq, and gatherings. Substitute the sour cream with buttermilk if desired. Wood and Spoon Blog Recipe

Strawberry Almond Skillet Cake Recipe A tangy, fluffy sour cream and vanilla cake baked in a cast iron skillet with juicy strawberries, sliced almonds, and a sprinkle of sugar. This is a simple, quick and fast recipe that is easy to put together and can be made ahead. This cake is served with whipped cream and is dusted with powdered sugar. Bake this Southern- style cake for summer parties, bbq, and gatherings. Substitute the sour cream with buttermilk if desired. Wood and Spoon Blog Recipe

I hope you’ll give this cake a try sometime this summer. It’s highly adaptable so you can feel free to substitute in peaches, raspberries, or even segmented oranges. You decide! Have a terrific week, friends!

Strawberry Almond Skillet Cake Recipe A tangy, fluffy sour cream and vanilla cake baked in a cast iron skillet with juicy strawberries, sliced almonds, and a sprinkle of sugar. This is a simple, quick and fast recipe that is easy to put together and can be made ahead. This cake is served with whipped cream and is dusted with powdered sugar. Bake this Southern- style cake for summer parties, bbq, and gatherings. Substitute the sour cream with buttermilk if desired. Wood and Spoon Blog Recipe

If you like this strawberry almond skillet cake, be sure to check out:

Blueberry Cornbread

Lemon Almond Poppyseed Bundt Cake

Apple Crumb Cake

Concord Grape Upside Down Cake

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry Pretzel Tart

Blood Orange Bundt Cake

Raspberry Rhubarb Crumb Cake

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Strawberry Almond Skillet Cake

This strawberry almond skillet cake is a simple sour cream cake sweetened with fresh strawberries, and sprinkled with sliced almonds.

  • Author: Kate Wood
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 35
  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 8

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 1/4 cup (55 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ¾ cup (150 gm) plus 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 11/4 cups (150 gm) all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (120 gm) full fat sour cream
  • 2 cups (230 gm/ 8 ounces) strawberries, tops removed and sliced lengthwise into ¼” pieces
  • ¼ cup (20 gm) sliced almonds

For the whipped cream

  • 1 cup (240 mL) heavy whipping cream
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions

To prepare the cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 10” cast iron skillet and set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and ¾ cup sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, almond extract, and egg and beat to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter and stir to almost combine. Add half of the sour cream and stir to almost combine. Repeat this process once more until all of the flour mixture and sour cream has been combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl and fold in any unincorporated bits.
  3. Spread the batter out in the greased skillet. Arrange the sliced strawberries all over the top of the batter, pressing them down gently into the batter. Sprinkle the top of the batter with the sliced almonds and the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes, or until the top is golden.

To prepare the whipped cream

  1. Beat the heavy whipping cream on low until the cream is frothy. Add the sugar and increase the speed to high. Beat until medium peaks have formed. Serve warm slices of cake with a bit of whipped cream spooned on top. Store the whipped cream in the fridge until ready to use.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 8
  • Calories: 388
  • Sugar: 29
  • Sodium: 221
  • Fat: 22
  • Saturated Fat: 12
  • Unsaturated Fat: 8
  • Trans Fat: 0
  • Carbohydrates: 46
  • Protein: 5
  • Cholesterol: 87

Did you make this recipe?

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Recipe Adapted From: Trisha Yearwood

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Blueberry Cornbread

Blueberry Cornbread Recipe by The Wood and Spoon Blog by Kate Wood. This is a cornmeal and flour skillet cake made with fresh blueberries and sugar. A simple, one bowl cake recipe made in a cast iron skillet, speckled with summer berries and sprinkled with powdered sugar. You can serve this with honey butter or whipped cream as dessert, or eat thick slices of it for breakfast. Find the recipe at thewoodandspoon.com

I know what you’re thinking. “Blueberry cornbread? Is that a thing?”

As it so happens, blueberry cornbread is officially a thing and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Blueberry Cornbread Recipe by The Wood and Spoon Blog by Kate Wood. This is a cornmeal and flour skillet cake made with fresh blueberries and sugar. A simple, one bowl cake recipe made in a cast iron skillet, speckled with summer berries and sprinkled with powdered sugar. You can serve this with honey butter or whipped cream as dessert, or eat thick slices of it for breakfast. Find the recipe at thewoodandspoon.com

Cornbread is one of the many things I received an education in when I moved to the South. In my 10+ years here, there have been a number of other learning opportunities and today, I wanted to share a few fun facts about Southern culture. If you’re not from the South, my money says you may learn a thing or two, but if you’re a born and bred Southerner… well, just try not to laugh too hard at my ignorance.

Blueberry Cornbread Recipe by The Wood and Spoon Blog by Kate Wood. This is a cornmeal and flour skillet cake made with fresh blueberries and sugar. A simple, one bowl cake recipe made in a cast iron skillet, speckled with summer berries and sprinkled with powdered sugar. You can serve this with honey butter or whipped cream as dessert, or eat thick slices of it for breakfast. Find the recipe at thewoodandspoon.com

  1. Tea, in the South, is offered two ways: sweet and sweeter. Unsweetened tea is a beverage kept around only for our Northern friends and those trying to “watch their sugar.”
  2. You can fry anything. I tried my first fried pork chop when I was having Sunday “dinner” (this is actually a lunch hour meal) with my husband’s family. Not surprisingly, it was delicious.
  3. God comes first, football is second. When I first moved to Alabama, I kept hearing people saying “ROLLLL TIDE.” It took a while to figure out why this one liner was exclaimed loudly with such frequency around here, but after unknowingly posing that question to a group of excited University of Alabama fans, I was brought up to speed. It took even longer to understand why we say “WAR EAGLE” when Auburn’s team mascot is clearly a tiger. Actually, I’m still kinda working on figuring this one out.
  4. Grits. Okay, so I know grit dishes are trending on menus all over New American restaurant menus now, but 10 years ago, I had never tried them even once. The South knows how to do them right, and I prefer mine thick with a healthy addition of cheese and black pepper.
  5. Camo is a color. My husband’s wardrobe is approximately 20% camouflage. He’s earned this right because he’s an actual hunter. I don’t always mind it, but I’m considering creating a line of hunting gear that reads Gail from “The Hunger Games.” [Insert all of the heart eyes]
  6. No one is too old to be called ma’am. I’m 28 years old, and I get called ma’am daily. Here, this is good manners- a sign of respect. It’s also grounds for feeling like an old lady.
  7. Lace is appropriate for little girls AND boys alike. Most of these delicate clothing items are handmade or have been passed down multiple generations. But to my Yankee friends: if you see a cute little one wearing an all white outfit with a scalloped lace collar, don’t assume this is a girl.
  8. It’s not pop or soda… it’s Coke. Yes, Coca-Cola is king in the South and if you ask your server for a “pop” around these parts, you’re likely to get chuckled at. Don’t even think about asking for a Pepsi.
  9. Similarly, “sneakers” are not a thing here. All athletic shoes are tennis shoes. Whether or not you’ve ever seen a tennis court has no bearing on what your shoes are called… it’s just always “tennis shoes.”
  10. People are nicer here. I felt kinda like a big turd when I moved to Alabama because everyone was always SO NICE. People walking down the street would smile, tip a hat, or say “hello.” We’re talking complete strangers here. When I go back home to Florida, I get weird looks when I smile and wave at people passing by, and that secretly makes me happy because who doesn’t deserve to be treated with that kind of out of the ordinary friendliness? Next time you visit the South, prepare to have your socks knocked off by kindness.

Blueberry Cornbread Recipe by The Wood and Spoon Blog by Kate Wood. This is a cornmeal and flour skillet cake made with fresh blueberries and sugar. A simple, one bowl cake recipe made in a cast iron skillet, speckled with summer berries and sprinkled with powdered sugar. You can serve this with honey butter or whipped cream as dessert, or eat thick slices of it for breakfast. Find the recipe at thewoodandspoon.com

Another thing I’m learning about the South? Cornbread.

I’m really okay with this aspect of Southern cuisine. I like my cornbread buttery and fluffy, but down here, you’ll find everyone has their own spin on it. This variation, blueberry cornbread, is a more delicate, sweet confection than its savory counterparts. A little honey, a scattering of blueberries, and more than a pinch of baking powder make this bread closer to a dessert cake than a side or breakfast item. This recipe for blueberry cornbread is adapted from one of my very favorite cookbooks, “Vintage Cakes,”  by Julie Richardson that features a number of Southern favorites. I love that this cornbread feels casual enough to serve for breakfast but is still decadent enough to call dessert. And the fact that is comes together in a cast iron skillet makes me feel all kinds of Southern.

Blueberry Cornbread Recipe by The Wood and Spoon Blog by Kate Wood. This is a cornmeal and flour skillet cake made with fresh blueberries and sugar. A simple, one bowl cake recipe made in a cast iron skillet, speckled with summer berries and sprinkled with powdered sugar. You can serve this with honey butter or whipped cream as dessert, or eat thick slices of it for breakfast. Find the recipe at thewoodandspoon.com

I photographed this cornbread a day or two after making my favorite strawberry shortcake that we talked about a couple of weeks ago. Because I still had some leftover honey whipped cream, I added a dollop to the top of the warm cornbread and HOLD THE PHONE– It was next level. I highly recommend whipping some up while this cake is in the oven.

Blueberry cornbread is a sweet and buttery skillet cake that is perfect for your next down-home, Southern affair. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

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Blueberry Cornbread

Blueberry cornbread is a sweet and buttery skillet cake that is perfect for your next down home, Southern affair.

  • Author: Kate Wood
  • Prep Time: 30
  • Cook Time: 60
  • Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup fine cornmeal
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 cups of blueberries
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a 10″ cast iron skillet, melt the stick of butter over medium-low heat just until melted. Swirl butter in the pan to grease the sides and bottom and then set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. In a separate, medium-sized bowl, pour the butter and stir to combine with the honey. Add the eggs and buttermilk and whisk together to combine.
  4. Pour the butter mixture into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
  5. Fold in half (1 cup) of blueberries and pour batter back into the skillet.
  6. Sprinkle the remaining blueberries over the top of the batter and finally, sprinkle the brown sugar over the batter.
  7. Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out nearly clean with just a few moist crumbs.
  8. Allow to cool slightly and serve with honey whipped cream (see link in text above), if desired.

Notes

  • Be sure you are using a 10″ skillet. This batter will bake out of the pan if you use one that is too small.
  • If your edges begin to brown too quickly before the center is becoming adequately baked through, tent the edges with a bit of aluminum foil to protect them from additional heat.
  • This cake will keep for 2-3 days at room temperature but is best eaten the day it is made.

Did you make this recipe?

Share a photo and tag us — we can't wait to see what you've made!

Recipe Adapted From: Julie Richardson

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