Berry Skillet Cake is packed full of summer flavor and ready to eat in under an hour. This easy dessert is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth!
If you’re looking for the perfect summer cake recipe, you found it! This lemony Berry Skillet Cake is so easy, I love to whip it up on a summer weekend with this juicy pork tenderloin recipe. It’s filled with your favorite ripe summer berries and topped with a homemade lemon glaze for the easiest cake recipe.
As a dessert lover, the simplicity of this skillet cake makes me giggle in delight. You don’t need tons of butter or thousands of cups of flour and sugar. You don’t even have to wait for it to cool before glazing! I serve it straight from the pan for a rustic dessert everyone will love.
My biggest tip for success for the best skillet cakes is using super soft butter. I’m talking butter that is one step away from being melted. If you use butter that is just soft, you’ll end up with a cake that is stiffer in texture, and we want something that pretty much melts in your mouth when you eat it.
Skillet Cake Ingredients
FRESH BERRIES: You can use any mix of fresh blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries you want! I’ve tried using frozen berries, but they tend to release too much moisture and make a wet cake. That’s why I always make this in the summer with all the fresh berries from the farmer’s market!
LEMONS: Lemon juice and lemon zest both end up in this amazing berry skillet cake. The combo of bright lemons and fresh berries is the perfect summer treat.
GLAZE: I make a simply lemony glaze for this skillet cake with powdered sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and milk. You could also use a thicker frosting, but I love the sweetness and moisture the homemade glaze adds. If you prefer a vanilla glaze, just leave out the lemon juice.
You’ll also need all the cake basics: flour, baking powder, salt, super softened butter, sugar, and vanilla extract.
How to Make a Cake in a Skillet
STEP ONE: Mix together the dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, salt, and a little lemon zest- in a mixing bowl.
STEP TWO: In another mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a hand or stand mixer for a few minutes until it is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and then the vanilla extract and lemon juice. Once those are mixed in, slowly pour in the milk while mixing.
STEP THREE: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix. Then all you need to do is pour in all the berries. Rather than simply folding them in, I like to mix the berries into the batter with my stand mixer. That way there are little chunks of berry goodness throughout the whole cake and it turns a pretty color!
STEP FOUR: Pour the cake batter into a cast-iron skillet and bake until it’s golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
STEP FIVE: Make the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and milk in a medium bowl. Pour it all over the cake.
Tips for Success
- I don’t even let the cake cool completely before glazing it. This lets some of the glaze seep into the cake for a moist lemony explosion on your tongue.
- Fresh berries on top of this make a simple and beautiful garnish.
- My kids like to top their slice of cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side on hot summer days. But a dollop of whipped cream is a great option too!
Can You Bake Cake in a Cast Iron Skillet?
The beauty of an oven-proof cast iron skillet is you can bake tons of delicious and simple desserts in it! Skillet cake recipes are some of my favorites because they’re easy but amazing for serving to company or just yourself.
It’s the perfect size when you’re trying to cut back on all those sweets. You don’t have to feel bad about three-layer cakes that you want to finish but know you never will.
I love using my skillet to bake because it gives you that beautiful crunchy bottom and edges with a soft, moist cast iron skillet cake. You can make perfectly gooey cookies and brownies, too!
What Can I Bake in a Cast Iron Skillet?
Start the morning off with this decadent lemon blueberry skillet pancake that’s great for breakfast or dessert, too. It’s perfect for spring!
If you love cookie cakes, this ooey gooey caramel peanut butter cup skillet cookie is meant for you! It is definitely big enough to share, but I will just look the other way if you decide to keep the whole thing for yourself.
Make the best date night dessert in a skillet! This decadent cherry cordial chocolate skillet cookie for two is so fun to share with your partner after a delicious homemade dinner.
Reese’s peanut butter cookie skillet is my go-to late-night snack. It’s better than any restaurant dessert I’ve had before and so easy!
More Yummy Dessert Recipes
- Cake Mix Snickerdoodles
- No-Bake Chocolate & Peanut Butter Bars
- Strawberry Pound Cake with Champagne Glaze
- Instant Pot Peach Cobbler
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
*This post originally posted on 03/23/2016.
Ingredients
Berry Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 lemon zested
- ¼ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ cup milk
- 2 cups mixed fresh berries (I like to use strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries)
Lemon Glaze
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons milk plus more as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, around 3 minutes.
- Beat in the egg until thoroughly incorporated. Then add the vanilla extract and lemon juice and mix. Slowly pour in the milk while mixing.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until combined. Then add in the berries and beat for another minute until incorporated.
- Pour the batter into a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and milk until smooth. Add more milk as needed until the glaze runs off your spoon. (If you prefer a vanilla glaze, leave out the lemon juice.)
- Pour lemon glaze onto the cake and let sit for 5 minutes to soak in. Serve warm or at room temperature. I like to top the cake with some more fresh berries for garnish.
Becky O'Neill says
This looks delicious but when I was looking up skillet cake I meant something I could actually make in a skillet on the stove top because I don’t have a working oven right now. Sad face
Aubrey Cota says
Oh darn it. You can certainly try it on the stove it’s just something you’ll have to keep a watchful eye on.
CakenGifts.in says
This is fantastic! Not only tasty but so quick and easy to make.
Aubrey Cota says
Thank you!