This homey gingerbread has everything a cold-weather cake should: a deeply spiced molasses crumb, the gentle fruitiness of apple butter, and little bursts of crystallized ginger. Baking it in cast iron creates a wonderfully browned edge while the center stays moist and tender. A sparkling sugar top makes it festive enough for the holiday table without any frosting.
THE RECIPE
Baked-in-a-Skillet Gingerbread
Prep25 min
Bake48 min
Total1 hr 20 min
Serves12
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Lightly coat a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cloves or nutmeg until evenly blended.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, or a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and softened butter on medium speed for about 3 minutes. The mixture will look thick and pasty rather than fluffy.
- With the mixer running, stream in the neutral oil and continue beating for about 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed, until the mixture becomes smoother and creamier.
- Beat in the egg for 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the molasses, followed by the apple butter, scraping the bowl again so everything is evenly combined.
- Mix in half of the dry ingredients only until they disappear. Add the buttermilk, then the remaining dry mixture. Before the last streaks of flour vanish, fold in the chopped crystallized ginger. The finished batter will be thick and fragrant.
- Spread the batter evenly in the prepared skillet, nudging it all the way to the edges and smoothing the surface. Sprinkle with turbinado or sanding sugar and pearl sugar, if using.
- Bake for 43 to 48 minutes. If using a springform pan, begin checking at 40 minutes. The cake is ready when it is puffed through the center, pulls slightly from the sides, and a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Set the skillet on a wire rack. Let the gingerbread cool until just warm or room temperature before cutting into 12 wedges and serving.
Tips and Storage
- Grease the cast-iron skillet thoroughly, including the sides, so the tender cake releases cleanly.
- Measure molasses in the same cup used for the oil; the thin coating helps the molasses slide out easily.
- If the crystallized ginger is hard, soak it in hot water for 1 minute, drain, and pat it completely dry before chopping.
- Serve plain or add whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, or even a slice of sharp cheddar.
- Keep the cooled cake well covered in its skillet at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze tightly wrapped for up to 1 month.
Recipe adapted from the cookbook page supplied by the site owner; directions rewritten with AI assistance. Featured image: AI-generated food photography.