Cast Iron Coffee Cake Recipe

A great sweet treat that mixes up quickly and is sure to please is a simple cast-iron coffee cake! With a delicious cream cheese frosting this easy recipe goes well with a cup of coffee or tea.

Vintage Coffee Cake Recipe

This simple cake comes from a book of old recipes from Stephen, Minnesota from 1948. I tweaked the recipe a little bit but overall most of the credit goes to Mrs. Carl Hvidsten who called this “cowboy coffee cake”. She offered no temperature at which to bake it. She says simply to bake it in a “moderate oven”. I wonder if this is because her 1948 kitchen in a rural Minnesota farming town may have only been equipped with a wood cook stove. 

We know today that a “moderate oven” is between 350-375 degrees. One thing I sadly don’t know and haven’t been able to track down is what Mrs. Hvidsten’s name was. I still send her my thanks for this delicious recipe, and a nod of appreciation to all those wives from yesteryear who we will only ever know as “Mrs.”

Ingredients for a Skillet Coffee Cake

Cake

• 1 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/2 Cup Milk or Butter Milk
• 1 Egg
• 3 Tablespoons Melted Butter
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 6 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon

Cream Cheese Drizzle

• 1/4 Cup Cream Cheese
• 3 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Milk

Supplies for Coffee Cake

• 8 inch Cast Iron Skillet
• Medium Bowl
• Small Bowl
• Whisk

Cast-Iron Coffee Cake Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Begin by liberally greasing a cast-iron skillet. Be sure to thoroughly cover the sides of the pan. I like to use butter on a paper towel. 

Let’s start with the cake!

In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, butter, milk, and egg. 

Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk well to combine. The cake batter will be smooth, like a very thick pancake batter. 

Pour the batter into the skillet and spread evenly. 

Cinnamon Topping

In a small mixing bowl, cut together with a fork 4 Tablespoons of butter, 6 tablespoons of brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. 

Using your fingers, pull off little globs of this mixture and dot it across the top of the cake. 

Bake the cake in your moderate oven for 25-30 minutes. Be sure to check at the 25 mark, as you don’t want to overbake the cake or it will come out dry. It should turn a nice golden brown on top. 

Cream Cheese Drizzle

Using the same small bowl you made the cinnamon sugar mixture in, add 1/4 cup of cream cheese. Warm this in the microwave (or allow it to come to a soft consistency at room temperature) for a few seconds to soften. You can certainly use a separate bowl, I just like to cut down on dishes.

Whisk in 3 Tablespoons of powdered sugar and 2 Tablespoons of milk. 

If you want it to be a little sweeter you can add more sugar. If it needs to be a little thinner then add a splash more milk. You should be able to sort of scoop it onto your whisk, hold it up, and it should be about as thick as Elmer’s glue. Not too runny but still smooth and liquidy.

Feel free to substitute maple syrup for powdered sugar. You may need to reduce your milk some or the glaze will be too runny.

Carefully remove the cast-iron pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Let sit for about ten minutes, then drizzle the frosting across the top.

Slice and serve!

This delicious cake is best served warm, where it almost tastes like a big cinnamon roll. You can add whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or a big pat of butter to the slice. It also tastes wonderful with fresh fruit on the side. Fresh blueberries are my favorite.

Store

The best way to store leftovers (if there are any!) is in an airtight container in the fridge. Warm the leftovers in the microwave or pop it in the oven for a few minutes before serving again. One of the great things about this cake is it also freezes well! 

Store in an airtight ziplock and freeze for up to three months. Set it out on the counter an hour two before you plan to serve it. 

For more delicious recipes check out these sweet treats!

• Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
• Honey Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Gooey Rhubarb Bars
• Banana Cream Pie

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Cast Iron Coffee Cake

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Servings 6

Equipment

• 8 inch Cast Iron Skillet
• Medium Bowl
• Small Bowl
• Whisk

Ingredients

  

Cake

• 1 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/2 Cup Milk or Butter Milk
• 1 Egg
• 3 Tablespoons Melted Butter
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 6 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon

Cream Cheese Drizzle

• 1/4 Cup Cream Cheese
• 3 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Milk

Instructions

 

Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Begin by liberally greasing a cast-iron skillet. Be sure to thoroughly cover the sides of the pan. I like to use butter on a paper towel.
• In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, butter, milk, and egg.
• Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk well to combine. The cake batter will be smooth, like a very thick pancake batter.
• Pour the batter into the skillet and spread evenly.

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

• In a small mixing bowl, cut together with a fork 4 Tablespoons of butter, 6 tablespoons of brown sugar, and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon.
• Using your fingers, pull off little globs of this mixture and dot it across the top of the cake.
• Bake the cake in your moderate oven for 25-30 minutes. Be sure to check at the 25 mark, as you don’t want to overbake the cake or it will come out dry. It should turn a nice golden brown on top.

Cream Cheese Drizzle

• Using the same small bowl you made the cinnamon sugar mixture in, add 1/4 cup of cream cheese. Warm this in the microwave (or allow to come to a soft consistency at room temperature) for a few seconds to soften.
• Whisk in 3 Tablespoons of powdered sugar and 2 Tablespoons of milk.
• If you want it to be a little sweeter you can add more sugar. If it needs to be a little thinner then add a splash more milk. It should be about as thick as Elmer's glue. Not too runny but still smooth and liquidy.
• Carefully remove the cast-iron pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Let sit for about ten minutes, then drizzle the frosting across the top.