ByDavid
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Need an easy baking idea that’s perfect for summer?
This Orange Almond Skillet Cake should do the trick!
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A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I finally purchased bikes. We’d been thinking about getting bicycles for a couple of years, and we decided this year was the year. I’ve spent many, many hours riding a bike…back when I was eight years old. Other than the stationary version at the gym, I hadn’t been on a bicycle in, well, I don’t know how long.
But luckily for me, it came back quickly…just like riding a bike. (Editor note: I tried to resist that bad pun, but it just came out anyways. Sorry.) Fortunately for us, our area has a bunch of bike trails, so we’ve been spending the weekends exploring these trails and enjoying the warm weather. Once spring and summer arrive, I always appreciate easier baking recipes. And this Orange Almond Skillet Cake is one of the easiest recipes I’ve ever made!
This past winter, I developed a new love for my cast iron skillet. In the summer, I mainly focus on recipes for the grill or smoker, but in the winter the grill is buried under 12+ inches of snow. So this year, I focused on cast iron cooking.
I have a couple of pieces of cast iron cookware, but honestly I didn’t really use them that much. I’d occasionally pull out the big skillet to saute onions and peppers…but that was about it. Well, that all changed this winter…and now I am hooked on using my cast iron pans again! (That skillet has now seen everything from a gigantic Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie to Homemade Flour Tortillas to Copycat Chili’s Chicken Fajitas.)
This Orange Almond Skillet Cake is one of the easiest cakes I’ve ever made. I have an immense amount of baking respect for Dorie Greenspan, and I was perusing her blog one day when I stumbled across this Swedish Visiting Cake. It looked absolutely amazing, and I knew I needed to try it.
Her original version used lemons, but I happen to love the combination of oranges and almonds…so I went a slightly different direction. It was magical. (Since then, I’ve gone back and made the lemon version…it, too, was amazing!) This is a one-bowl cake, and it couldn’t be any easier to make. With the fresh orange flavors, I found this cake to be perfect for both breakfast as well as dessert. It’s also great to take along as a snack while you’re riding your bike.
Orange Almond Skillet Cake
Need an easy baking idea that's perfect for summer? This Orange Almond Skillet Cake should do the trick!
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 299kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled (plus more to grease pan)
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- 1 Tbsp course sugar such as sanding or demerara
- powdered sugar for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Grease a 9” cast iron skillet (or round cake pan) with butter. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and orange zest until well blended. Add the salt, vanilla, and almond extract; whisk until well combined.
Add the flour to the bowl, and gently stir until well combined. Fold in the melted butter until a smooth batter forms.
Pour the batter into greased skillet and smooth top with the spatula. Sprinkle the sliced almonds and course sugar evenly across the top of the batter.
Bake at 350°F until top is golden and edges are slightly crisp. Allow cake to cool for 5 minutes before slicing or transferring to a serving plate. Garnish with a light dusting of powdered sugar (optional); serve warm or at room temperature.
Related Posts
- Orange Crumb Cake
- Cherry Almond Cake
- Burnt Almond Torte
- Orange Juice Cake
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We use to bike all the time until we got the dog… now she looks at us sad when we head out without her. In some areas we can take her along, but it totally has to be the hubby with the leash. haha! This cake looks delicious!
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Oh man, I can’t even imagine trying to take our 2 dogs along with us on a bike ride. That would be a disaster waiting to happen. (Max: “Wait…was that a chipmunk over there??” *dashes off in front of the bike, wrapping his leash through the gears*)
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I grew up in the South, so you know I love my cast iron skillet. Love the idea of this cake! I don’t bake nearly enough with oranges.
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Heck yeah, Jennifer! Here’s to our cast iron skillets! *clinking beer (or wine) glasses*
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I do need to use my cast irons more. I think making a cake in it will get me there lol! Nothing like a sweet motivation hahah!! I love the orange and almond combination here. Sounds so delicious!! Hope you guys enjoy the new bikes!!!
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Oh man, I can’t wait to get out there and ride the bikes! I was sick this past weekend…who gets sick in May…on a long weekend!?! And yes, get that cast iron skillet out. It’s amazing all of the cool stuff you can make in it. 🙂
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Soooo David, I’m seeing a triathlete in the makings! You’ve got the bike, now we have just to work on the swimming and running segments…
And trust me when I say that after completing a triathlon, you’ll inhale this amazing skillet cake like there’s no tomorrow! 😉Reply
Hahaha! See, here’s the thing, Mike. I don’t mind the swimming, but the running? Nope. Not gonna happen. I only run when someone is chasing me…or if there is a doughnut hanging on a string in front of me. And the other thing is that I can inhale this cake without running a triathlon. 🙂
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Are you getting as creeped out as I am about the fact that we have SO stinkin’ much in common? Proof:
1) I ALSO bought and rode a bicycle this year for the first time in over 20 years
2) I ADORE my cast iron skillet, as it’s the ONLY piece of kitchen equipment that belonged to my mom. (My stingy older sisters stole the rest of it after mom died)
3) Orange cake is my favorite flavor in the universe (NO LIE)This is just fabulous times infinity!
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I think you need to stop being a creeper and hiding in the bushes behind my house, Becca! Haha!! We do indeed have a lot in common. 🙂
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I have some antique iron skillets that hang on display at my kitchen hearth. I think I’ll get one and bake a cake. Yours sounds wonderful with the combination of orange and almond flavors.
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Can I tell you how jealous I am to hear about your antique cast iron skillets, Karen? I bet they are awesome!! Thank you so much for stopping by…nice to meet ya!
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We rode out mountain bikes this weekend. We haven’t been on those things since we moved here. Ouch, I forgot how sore a long ride can make you. Ok, I really mean me. Between, already being sore and the elevation, I was dying! Haha
This skillet cake looks fantastic! I love the orange and almond combination, and how easy this is to make. That’s a winner!Reply
We went out for a short ride this past weekend, too, Cindy! And yes, I was a wee bit sore. I guess it takes time to build into bike-shape. I can’t imagine what the pros who ride the Tour de France must feel like at the end of 3 weeks!
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