A simple cake packed with the juiciest red berries makes the best Strawberry Skillet Cake!
When sweet, juicy strawberries get thrown into a light and airy cake and baked in a buttered cast iron skillet, you get this masterpiece.
This has quickly become one of my favorite breakfast cakes (I alternate between this one and my Summer Orange Cake as a sweet treat with breakfast).
I will never pass up BOGO strawberries, but I am the only one in my house who eats them.
So when they went BOGO a few weeks ago, I knew I had to do something with the second pack.
I often just make some chocolate covered strawberries, but I wanted something different.
I thought of a cake, but I didn’t want it to be thick or dense like a birthday cake.
I wanted something light, fresh and really summery.
I also know anything baked in a skillet is immediately a 10/10. This one is no exception!
What do I need to make a Strawberry Skillet Cake?
- Butter – unsalted and softened
- Sugar- regular white sugar for this one!
- Eggs- 2 large ones
- vanilla- the best you can get your hands on. This makes such a difference in all baked goods!
- Flour- I always use all purpose here
- baking powder- to make that cake rise!
- salt- always brings out some of the best flavors in sweets
- sour cream- this is what’s going to help make it light and also cut some of the sweetness
- strawberries- the juicier and redder the better!
- sugar – I always prefer a coarse sugar for topping, but regular sugar works just as well!
How to make this cake:
As always, whisk your dry ingredients in a small bowl first (that’s the flour, baking powder and salt).
Preheat your oven to 350 and add a chunk of butter to your skillet and let it melt in the oven while it preheats (I usually do between 1-2 tbsp. You want it to fully coat the bottom and sides).
Cream the butter and sugar really well. I’m talking 2-3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat again.
Add in half the flour, beat. Sour cream, beat. Remaining flour, beat.
Make sure your strawberries are washed and dried before chopping and adding into the batter. Fold them in being careful not to squeeze them so they don’t bleed in the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared skillet and spread it out. Sprinkle the sugar all over the top and bake until golden.
Let it cool for at least 30 min before slicing. I know you’re supposed to wait for these types of cakes to be fully cool before enjoying, but I love a piece of warm cake!
Can I use frozen berries?
You can! Don’t thaw, add them in frozen. You can also toss them in a tbsp of flour to keep them from sinking in your batter.
Can I use a different type of berry?
Yes! Any berry works in this cake. You can do a mixed berry cake, too!
How do I store this cake?
It can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days or you can refrigerate for up to a week!
You can also bake and freeze it for a future breakfast treat.
Strawberry Skillet Cake
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cup strawberries diced
- 3 tbsp coarse sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a cast iron skillet (see notes for alternatives).
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar for 3-4 min until creamy. Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat again.
- Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl, beat, then add the sour cream, beat again and add the remaining flour. Beat until just combined.
- Add in the strawberries and fold them into the batter, being careful not to squish them much so they don't bleed.
- Pour into your prepared skillet and top with the coarse sugar (see notes). Bake for 45-55 min or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let it cool for at least 30 min before cutting into it. I love this one warm so I never let it fully cool before digging in. Yum!
Notes
- If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can also use a springform pan or regular cake pan.
- If you don’t have coarse sugar, regular sugar works just as well. ;)