After taking a bad tumble off his longboard one day, my son Kell ended up in the E.R. with some pretty serious abrasions and a broken collar bone. It was interesting to watch his progression of emotions through all of it. It went something like this: Shocked >>> amused >>> proud >>> non-chalant >>> pain >>> frustration >>> bummed >>> resigned. Poor guy.
With every move he made something hurt. So I decided to make him a treat to try and take his mind off his troubles. Of course for ME “a treat” usually involves chocolate, so that’s the direction I took. I’d seen a recipe for Gooey Chocolate Skillet Cake at Willow Bird Baking and was itching to try my hand at making it gluten-free.
After much trial and error I finally succeeded! Not only in making a delicious gluten-free version of this yummy cake, but in taking Kell’s mind off his troubles for at least a little while. :-)
I ended up making four different versions until I got it right. Gluten-free baking really does try my patience at times!
For the first attempt I used Pamela’s Gluten-Free Baking Mix — my go-to mix for when a recipe calls for some flour and I don’t feel like going to the trouble of mixing up my own GF flour blend. The problem with this first version was I didn’t take into account that Pamela’s Baking Mix already has baking soda, salt, etc in it. I should have eliminated the baking soda altogether from the recipe, but completely forgot.
So with twice the baking soda in it then it should have had, the cake rose way too high and then collapsed. It actually came perilously close to going over the sides of the skillet when it was in the oven. It actually ended up still being edible, just not very pretty.
The second attempt I decided to try the same mix, but instead of cooking it in a cast iron skillet, I cooked it in a quiche pan. I’m not exactly sure what my logic was behind this, but this time it didn’t just come close to overflowing — it DID overflow! All over the bottom of my oven. *sigh*
After cleaning up the mess from attempt number two, I decided to try a different flour altogether. I’d heard good things about almond flour, so I had ordered a big bag of it. I’d only tried it in one other recipe and to be quite honest, it was a major fail. But being the pollyanna that I am (sometimes) I thought maybe it would work in this recipe! lol.
Once again I can’t explain exactly what I was thinking — I guess you could say I wasn’t! Needless to say, the third attempt was not only a fail — but a complete fail! It wasn’t even edible. It never actually turned into anything even resembling a cake. It remained a liquid mess! At least it didn’t overflow the pan! (I know — grasping at straws here!)
At this point, most sensible people would have thrown in the towel — but not me! I simply refuse to accept defeat, even when it’s staring me in the face! I decided I would try one more time! And guess what? All that stuff you’ve heard about the third time being the charm — wrong! The fourth time was the charm for me!
And here’s the proof!
This time I had decided to switch flours again, and used Pamela’s Bread Mix & Flour Blend.
This mix of flours does not contain extra baking soda, salt, etc so there was no batter overflow threat.
Chocolate Fudge Cake In A Cast Iron Skillet {Gluten-Free}
adapted from: Willow Bird Baking
Yield: 4-6 servings
More Ideas You'll Love
- 1 cup gluten-free flour (I used Pamela’s Bread Mix & Flour Blend)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Frosting:
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons milk (more if needed to thin it out)
- 1/2 cup chopped roasted almonds
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt together and set aside.
Add the butter, vegetable oil, cocoa powder, and water to a 10 inch cast iron skillet and bring to a boil.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the dry ingredients. Mix the milk, egg, and vanilla together in a separate bowl and add to the mixture.
Place the cast iron skillet in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
While the cake is cooling, make the frosting.
In a small saucepan, bring the butter, cocoa, and milk to a boil. Remove from heat and add the powdered sugar, chopped roasted almonds, and vanilla. Stir well to combine.
Pour over the warm cake, spread with a spatula, and serve with vanilla ice cream (or not).
The fourth version of this cake came out perfect! Well, as perfect as gluten-free gets. :-) It was gooey and fudgy and chocolately….just as promised, and Kell loved it. I mean really, really LOVED it! Which did my heart good because he’s had a pretty crummy 48 hours. ;-)
More Ideas You'll Love
“GET WELL” CHOCOLATE FUDGE SKILLET CAKE {GLUTEN-FREE}
Ingredients
CAKE:
- 1 cup Gluten-free flour I used Pamela’s Bread Mix & Flour Blend
- 1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 cup Butter
- 1/4 cup Vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons Cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup Water
- 1/4 cup Milk
- 1 Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
FROSTING:
- 1/4 cup Butter
- 2 tablespoons Cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons Milk more if needed to thin it out
- 1/2 cup Roasted almonds chopped
- 2 cups Powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
Instructions
CAKE:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, sugar, and salt together and set aside.
- Add the butter, vegetable oil, cocoa powder, and water to a 10 inch cast iron skillet and bring to a boil.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the dry ingredients. Mix the milk, egg, and vanilla together in a separate bowl and add to the mixture.
- Place the cast iron skillet in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
- While the cake is cooling, make the frosting.
FROSTING:
- In a small saucepan, bring the butter, cocoa, and milk to a boil.
- Remove from heat and add the powdered sugar, chopped roasted almonds, and vanilla. Stir well to combine.
- Pour over the warm cake, spread with a spatula, and serve with vanilla ice cream.
Nutrition
Do you know a good gluten-free cake recipe?
I’ll try it with cake flour. May be nice´. At the moment my cocoa is finished. I’ll tell you next time.
I live in Lisbon – Portugal – Europe
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Jillee! When I found out about needing a gluten-free diet I thought I would starve! In nearly 8 years I have not. Gluten free flour blends are all over now. Trader Joe’s has a great one. I used to make my own. I used mostly white rice flour but have also added oat flour or a small amount of almond flour to my blend. Gluten free shopping or cooking will get easier the more you do it. Don’t get discouraged. ; )
Please log in or create a free account to comment.One thing I really appreciate about people like you, is that you let us know about all your trial versions of anything until you get it right. There’s a millions bloggers out there that have their ways………..we try them, and they don’t work for us, but we don’t know why………with you letting us know how badly things turn out when trying something, and then trial and error ideas until you get it the way you want………well, that’s just awesome. It helps me understand what kinds of things I should or shouldn’t do.
Your obsessiveness is a huge payoff for all of us who follow you! Thanks so much. I absolutely love reading about all the homemade things you’ve done. I never seem to have all the ingredients to try everything, though :(
Thanks for all your hard work. Good luck to your son in his recovery. I have a feeling it will be a good and speedy one with a Mom like you.
Cheers.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Prayers for your son! Question. I do not have a cast iron skillet yet. I want one but in the mean time could I start it in a skillet then pour it into a pan top cook in the oven?
Hope your son feels better soon! Also thank yOu for trying so many times ! I would have stopped after the first time. <3
Please log in or create a free account to comment.HI JILLEE! Thanks for sharing this! I wanted to let you know of an awesome app for iPhones (I don’t know if you or your son owns one) that allows you to scan barcodes from groceries and informs you whether or not it contains gluten or ingredients that people can be allergic to. It’s called Allergy & Gluten Free Diet Tracker by Fooducate. I use it and I also LOVE their original Fooducate app (available on Android, too) when I go grocery shopping. It lets me know about any GMO’s or any crazy sounding stuff. You should check it out! :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for the recipe! I want to go gluten free because every time I eat food with wheat in it, I feel yucky afterwards…I am having a hard time since I love to bake muffins, pancakes, etc…My first step is to go out and buy a cast iron skillet! I really don’t have one–shocking, huh? Question: What about coconut flour? Has anyone used it? Will it get same results? Thanks!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This sounds amazing. I will certainly have to try it.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I understand where you’re coming from with the get well cake. My nephew does FCA Motocross and we always make him brownies when he doesn’t do well in his races or when he crashes his bike. He’s never had any serious injuries, but I have a feeling the day will come.
Hope Kell feels better soon!
Poor Kell! Wishing him a speedy recovery. But this might cause cute girls to flock to his side so they can ‘ooh and ah’ over him. Maybe that will be a silver lining. LOL!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Due to an auto-immune illness, I’m considering the paleo diet which eliminates all inflammatory foods. In my research, I found this website: http://www.elanaspantry.com/ . She’s got info on many special diets, including GF, and tons of recipes. Maybe others will find help there, too.
This looks so yummy! I love your blog, found it one day when looking at cleaning solutions and love it even more now that you post recipes like this! I have Type 1 (I spy with my diabetes eye the edge of Kell’s pump in that picture, its the same I use!) and I have a gluten allergy so I really love seeing what recipes you come up with as I tend to be too lazy to figure out these things and I just tend to go without. I am definitely trying this. Do you know about how many grams of carbs a serving of this was?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My favorite GF Flour is Jules Gluten Free flour! It is amazing! It tastes and acts just like AP flour. No guess work or altering the recipes, just sub Jules GF flour for the amount of AP flour called for in the recipe. People don’t believe me when I tell them it’s gluten free! It is fabulous! Try it! Jules is a fantastic resource for all things GF as well. :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hopefully your son is on the mend by now! Looks like he is taking it pretty well-poor kid with summer coming! As for almond flour SUBSTITUTE only part of the flour with almond flour. I usually swap 1/4 of the flour with the almond flour. It has tons of benefits that are missing from our regular flour blends and does add a good taste to things.
This recipe looks awesome! Can’t wait to try it. Love chocolate!!!
Thanks for a fantastic website!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.When I broke my shoulder, my goal for the week was to be able to pull up my undies on both sides. I discovered the joy of wearing undies two sizes too big. He may find that larger briefs really come in handy too.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.haha! Good advice Helen! I can’t tell you how many times I have had to help him take his shirt on and off since it happened! aye aye aye!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Longboard? In the snow? A longboard makes me thing of the ocean but you live in Utah. Tell me about it….. In an aside, my husband has a knot on his shoulder from a car wreck and my daughter has one from childbirth! (Guess I pushed too hard but she was a big baby, too.) So guess knots are to be expected. Get well, Kell. Battle scars.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Paulette, a long board is a long skateboard. Used a lot for cruising down hills! And in Kell’s case…TOO FAST! lol
Please log in or create a free account to comment.