Chocolate cake is one of my very favorite desserts. I have a recipe I absolutely love, you can find it here. It is a layer cake and takes a bit of time, so when I saw this recipe on Serious Eats I wanted to try it since it looked appealing and seemed quick to make.
I really loved a few things about this cake. The cake itself was moist (dry cake is a huge pet peeve of mine), and it had really great chocolate flavor. The cake batter has both cocoa powder and quite a bit of dark chocolate in it. It was flavorful on it’s own even without the frosting, but the whipped ganache frosting was also SOOOO good. I will definitely use it again for cakes/cupcakes and it is so easy to make.
I’m not totally sure why this cake is baked in a skillet to be honest. I didn’t really notice any difference in texture to a cake baked in a cake pan, and I think the recipe amounts are designed to fit the skillet so I used it, but I think it could probably be baked in a cake pan…it just might make a really thick cake 🙂 One nice thing about the skillet though was less dishes.
Chocolate Skillet Cake with Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Ingredients
For the frosting:
- 6 oz finely chopped milk chocolate
- 1 cup heavy cream
- salt to taste
For the cake:
- 6 oz unsalted butter
- 6 oz black coffee
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 3 oz finely chopped dark chocolate
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup AP flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
Instructions
For the frosting:
- Heat the cream in the microwave until steaming and pour over the milk chocolate and salt. Let sit 5 min and then whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use. When your cake is cool, whip the ganache in a mixer with a whip attachment just until it is fluffy. Don't overwhip or it will separate. Use a rubber spatula or a cake spatula to spread it over the cooled cake. Top with sprinkles if you like.
For the cake:
- Adjust over rack to lower middle and heat oven to 350. Place the skillet on the stove over medium heat and add the butter and coffee. Cook until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat and mix in the cocoa and dark chocolate, followed by the brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Whisk until smooth. Add the eggs and whisk, followed by the baking soda and mix well. All the flour and gently combine just until mixed.
- Place in oven and bake until the cake is firm, though your finger will still leave a little impression if cake is pressed. A toothpick in the center should have a few crumbs attached. Remove from the oven and cool completely then frost. This stored well both at cool room temp and in the fridge.