Cast Iron Sourdough Chocolate Cake

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This delicious treat is surprisingly simple to whip up! Cast iron sourdough chocolate cake makes the perfect dessert, whether for guests, a birthday, or after a special family meal.

Whenever we have out-of-town guests visit us here in Alaska, they always want to feast with us and sample the bounties of this great state. Most have never tried black bear, caribou, halibut, or smoked salmon.

We love to get creative and prepare a meal with a little taste of everything Alaskan that we have on hand. Smoked salmon dip before dinner, red meat that my husband and daughter hunted as the main course, wild berries that we picked, and of course, sourdough.

I almost always make sourdough bread for guests. Many people are intrigued by sourdough and how it works. Serving them a unique dessert using some of my starter is the perfect way to end an Alaskan feast.

I like to bake my sourdough chocolate cake in a cast-iron skillet to make it even more rustic. Serving the cake right out of the skillet fits in with our old-fashioned log home. This cake is fluffy, rich, and delicious as well as easy to put together. I like to make this on the weekends for a fun treat just for our family.

Ingredients for Cast Iron Sourdough Chocolate Cake

• Butter-Unsalted. Homemade is even better!
• Sugar-I use organic cane sugar.
• Egg-I like to bake with duck eggs, but chicken eggs work too.
• Vanilla-Homemade is best. Here’s a recipe to make it yourself!
• Milk-Preferably whole. We use raw milk from our dairy cow.
• Sourdough Starter-Doesn’t need to be active, you can use discard for this recipe. Don’t have a starter? You can get some from a friend or make your own with these simple instructions.
• Flour-All-purpose will give you a fluffier cake but freshly-ground whole wheat keeps it helathier, either works!
• Cocoa Powder-Be sure to use pure cocoa powder.
• Baking Soda
• Baking Powder
• Salt

Tools You Will Need

• Stand Mixer-Fitted with the paddle attachment. Or just mix it by hand.
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Spatula
• 8 inch Cast Iron Skillet-A well-seasoned cast-iron skillet will leave you with hardly a mess to clean up.

How to Make Cast Iron Sourdough Chocolate Cake

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and place the skillet in the oven to preheat as well.
• Cream butter in the stand mixer (or by hand) on medium speed until creamy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• With the mixer still running, pour in the sugar and mix well.
• Continue by adding the egg, vanilla extract, milk, and finally the sourdough starter until well combined.
• Turn the mixer to low and pour in the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.
• Remove the skillet from the oven and place on a hot pad on the counter. Place a pad of butter (about 1 tablespoon) in the skillet and allow it to melt.
• Pour the batter into the hot skillet and smooth over the top.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

How to Serve Sourdough Chocolate Cake

Allow the cake to cool for several minutes before cutting. I like to leave it right in the cast iron, cut it into slices like a pie, and serve it just like that. No fancy extra serving dish is needed!

Although this cake is delicious and simple on its own, feel free to add your favorite sauce or icing to the top. It depends on how much time I have or how fancy our meal is as to whether or not I add anything. Serve with some homemade ice cream for an even better treat!

Sourdough chocolate cake just has a hint of sourdough flavor so it shouldn’t be overwhelming for those new to the taste. It’s a delicious way to use up excess sourdough starter in an unexpected way!

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