This delicious Texas Skillet Cake is a chocolate cake made in a cast iron skillet, and it’s topped with a rich chocolate frosting and pecans.
This Texas Skillet Cake is the cast iron skillet version of making a Texas Sheet Cake. The chocolate cake itself is a perfectly moist and wonderful chocolate cake. And in true Texas-style, a warm chocolate icing is poured over the cake (when it’s still warm from the oven). Toasted pecans are dotted on top, before the icing sets.
This recipe comes from The Best Cast Iron Baking Book by Roxanne Wyss and Kathy Moore. The book contains an array of things you can bake in a cast iron skillet: cakes, cookies, brownies, pie, scones, biscuits, cobbler, sweet rolls and bread. It’s a fun book to have on hand if you like to use your cast iron skillet!
Here are a few recipes in the book that we look forward to making:
- Caramelized Apple Dutch Baby
- Butterscotch Blondies
- Peach Crostata
- Buttermilk Blueberry Scones
- Blackberry Crumble
- Giant Skillet Cinnamon Roll
- One Hour Skillet Foccacia
- Everyday Whole Grain Bread
Ingredients needed:
- unsalted butter
- water
- cocoa powder
- all purpose flour
- white sugar
- baking soda and salt
- egg
- sour cream
- vanilla extract
- milk
- powdered sugar
- pecans
How to make Texas Skillet Cake:
The full, printable recipe is at the end of this post. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet with softened butter.
- The first step is preparing the cake. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil the water, butter and cocoa powder, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Stir in the egg, sour cream and vanilla. Pour the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined and smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the skillet from the oven and place on a wire rack.
- The second step is adding the icing. Just before the cake is finished baking, combine the milk, cocoa powder and butter in a small saucepan over medium-heat; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth. When the cake is done and still hot from the oven, pour the icing over the cake. Using the back of a spoon, spread it evenly. Sprinkle the toasted pecans evenly over the icing.
How to Toast Pecans:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until lightly toasted.
I think this cake is best when served while it’s still a little warm. It’ll be kind of ooey gooey, which is perfect!
Serve slices on plates, and be sure to add a little bit of vanilla ice cream on top. Enjoy!
The Best Chocolate Cake Recipes:
- Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Marshmallow Frosting
- Glazed Milk Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Wedding Cake
- Chocolate Cherry Dump Cake
- Kit Kat Cake
Texas Skillet Cake
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 1 teaspoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FROSTING:
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons chopped toasted pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet with softened butter.
PREPARE THE CAKE:
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil the water, butter and cocoa powder, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Stir in the egg, sour cream and vanilla. Pour the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined and smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared skillet. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 35 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and place on a wire rack.
ADD THE CHOCOLATE ICING:
- Just before the cake is finished baking, combine the milk, cocoa powder and butter in a small saucepan over medium-heat; bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth. When the cake is done and still hot from the oven, pour the icing over the cake. Using the back of a spoon, spread it evenly. Sprinkle the toasted pecans evenly over the icing.
Notes
- How to toast pecans: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until lightly toasted.