Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Skillet Cake

November 14, 2017 Laura

The weather has turned here in Toronto and it’s now officially frigid. My kitchen has also completely turned over to a hub for cozy recipes. The other day, as I watched my daughter kick fallen leaves as she skipped into school, I felt a little astonished by the fact we were already deep into November. Weren’t we just talking about back to school and relishing in an Indian Summer that felt like a gift from heaven? But here we are in November and I’m readying our family for a trip home to the States for our annual Thanksgiving festivities. We even put our summer cottage to bed this past weekend; saying good bye to it until the sun’s heat once again fills the air. Instead of making berry crostatas and homemade ice creams in its tiny but sunshine-drenched kitchen, I’ve now slipped into a rotation of soups, chilis and sheet pan dinners back in my home kitchen. I’m also back to making everything that makes any sense in my skillets.

It’s no surprise I started the skillet parade by making a cake. How else is a girl suppose to make herself feel better? And, as cakes go, this little baby is a perfect fall dessert. It’s actually barely a cake. It’s more like a loaf since I just dust it with confectioners sugar rather than give it a healthy slick of icing. Scarlett likes to bring it to school as a snack. And I like to eat it with a coffee or tea. I was just about to write that I’d like it better if it was a berry something-or-other but I couldn’t do it because it’s just not true. As fall things go, this moist, pumpkin flavoured cake makes turning the clock’s back, raking leaves and wearing layers feel like a welcome change. Well, for now. Don’t talk to me when it snows.

Photo by Ashley van der Laan

Pumpkin Skillet Cake

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups spelt flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Method

Preheat your oven to 350.

In a 8-inch oven proof skillet, add your butter and place it in the oven to melt. Remove skillet and pour out the melted butter into a glass measuring cup, leaving behind enough to grease your pan; set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and then add the sugars and extract. Mix in the pumpkin puree and stir until blended. Add the butter and mix. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the flour and mix until combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Scrape batter into prepared skillet and tap it down to make sure it is evenly distributed. Bake cake for 18 to 20 minutes or until outer edges are browned and puffed. Let cool in the skillet. Serve in skillet or turn out; cut into wedges.

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