Cast Iron Raspberry-Ginger Buttermilk Cake
By Nicole KonstantinakosPublished on March 3, 2025
Time
1¼ hours, plus 30 minutes cooling
Yield
Serves 8 to 12
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Be sure the melted butter has cooled to room temperature before adding it to the sugar mixture in step 3. You can substitute frozen (unthawed) raspberries for the fresh (you may need to add up to 5 minutes to the baking time). For added flair, serve this cake drizzled with Tea Glaze.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in 10-inch cast-iron skillet over low heat; swirl over bottom and sides of skillet, then transfer to small bowl (do not scrape residual butter from skillet) and let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.
- Whisk 1 cup sugar and eggs in large bowl until mixture is pale and creamy, about 1 minute. Whisk in cooled butter until mixture is thick and creamy. Whisk in buttermilk, lemon zest, and vanilla until evenly combined. Using silicone spatula, fold flour mixture into buttermilk mixture until just combined (batter will be thick). Gently fold in raspberries.
- ransfer batter to skillet and smooth top. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cake cool in skillet on wire rack for 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Slices of fully cooled cake can be reheated briefly in microwave or skillet-toasted in butter, if desired.)
Time
1¼ hours, plus 30 minutes coolingYield
Serves 8 to 12Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
With their bright, rose-kissed flavor and brilliant color, raspberries are a harbinger of summer and the essence of countless treats and confections. We love an easy recipe that takes full advantage of them without getting in their way. This buttery, tender, tangy-sweet cake with a delicate, crackly top is a breeze to prepare and gives fresh raspberries a chance to sing. Baked in a cast-iron skillet, the cake stays warm and moist long after it comes out of the oven. It’s perfect as a breakfast cake, reminiscent of a giant bakery muffin. It’s a treat to be savored with an afternoon cup of tea or coffee. And it’s a beautiful summer dessert, especially when drizzled with a simple glaze, dolloped with whipped cream, or accompanied by ice cream. To keep things simple while achieving a fluffy, slightly coarse crumb—perfect for suspending plump berries—the classic muffin mixing method does the trick. Whisk dry ingredients together in one bowl, liquid ingredients in another, and then fold everything together (including the berries) until just combined. Melting the butter in the skillet serves the double purpose of liquefying the butter and greasing the skillet. Whisking the sugar and eggs together at the start adds airiness to the cake and ensures that the sugar is dissolved and blends evenly into the batter. A sprinkle of sugar over the top is a perfect finish. A trio of supporting aromatics accentuates the flavor of the raspberries: Bracing ginger offers a lively counterpoint to the floral raspberry flavors, while vanilla and lemon zest give the cake a subtle complexity. Morning, noon, or night, this cake makes it easy to celebrate berries to their fullest.
Before You Begin
Be sure the melted butter has cooled to room temperature before adding it to the sugar mixture in step 3. You can substitute frozen (unthawed) raspberries for the fresh (you may need to add up to 5 minutes to the baking time). For added flair, serve this cake drizzled with Tea Glaze.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in 10-inch cast-iron skillet over low heat; swirl over bottom and sides of skillet, then transfer to small bowl (do not scrape residual butter from skillet) and let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, and salt together in medium bowl; set aside.
- Whisk 1 cup sugar and eggs in large bowl until mixture is pale and creamy, about 1 minute. Whisk in cooled butter until mixture is thick and creamy. Whisk in buttermilk, lemon zest, and vanilla until evenly combined. Using silicone spatula, fold flour mixture into buttermilk mixture until just combined (batter will be thick). Gently fold in raspberries.
- ransfer batter to skillet and smooth top. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cake cool in skillet on wire rack for 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Slices of fully cooled cake can be reheated briefly in microwave or skillet-toasted in butter, if desired.)
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