Quick Summary: A rustic skillet cake that balances the sweetness of a cobbler with the savory depth of cornbread. Made in a cast iron skillet with fresh or frozen blueberries and less sugar than most desserts. Perfect served warm with vanilla ice cream. Prep: 20 min | Cook: 35 min | Serves: 12
Jump to: RECIPE | Ingredients | How to Make It? | How to Serve | How to Freeze Blueberries | FAQ
I’ve been growing blueberries at HeathGlen Organic Farm since 2001, and this skillet cake is the recipe I make most often for guests.
It hits a sweet spot between blueberry cobbler and savory cornbread, with the cornmeal adding texture and the blueberries shining through without being masked by too much sugar.
Made in a cast iron skillet, it looks beautiful served straight from the pan with a dusting of powdered sugar and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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Ingredients for Berry Cornmeal Cake
Here is a visual list of ingredients for a skillet cake made with cornmeal and berries (in this case blueberries). For a detailed list of measurements see the recipe below.
How to Make Blueberry Cornmeal Skillet Cake
The ingredient and recipe details are listed in the recipe card below. In short:
- Preheat a 12-inch cast iron skillet in the oven at 350°F.
- Whisk together flour, sugar, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and lemon zest.
- In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir gently.
- Butter the hot skillet, spread half the batter, scatter half the blueberries, add remaining batter, top with remaining blueberries and a sprinkle of sugar. Bake about 35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Check out more blueberry recipes from our farm, from sweet to savory to cocktails to preserves.
How to Serve Skillet Cakes
One of the benefits of a skillet cake is it looks rustic and beautiful served straight out of the pan. I like to sift some powdered sugar over the cooled cake, put it in the center of the table, and cut it into pie shaped wedges.
Ice cream is always a great option with berry cobblers or cakes and I generally opt for vanilla so as not to overpower the blueberries.
You can also cut the skillet cake into squares and serve with homemade whipped cream.
How to Freeze Fresh Blueberries
Blueberries are one of the easiest fruits to freeze. Unlike peaches and many other fruits, they will not brown or change color. Blueberries are also concentrated fruit without a lot of water, so they will not turn mushy upon thawing.
Simply spread your fresh blueberries out on a cookie sheet (unwashed) and place the whole sheet in the freezer. They will turn into little blue marbles after they are frozen and you can then empty them into a ziplock bag and place back in the freezer.
*Tip: Be sure to push all the air out of the ziplock bag so they won’t get freezer burn.
FAQ
Yes. No need to thaw them first. Frozen blueberries work beautifully in this cake.
A hot skillet helps create a golden, slightly crispy edge on the cake. It also ensures even baking.
A 10-inch skillet works but the cake will be thicker and may need a few extra minutes of baking. Test with a toothpick to make sure the center is done.
Cover and store at room temperature for a day or two, or refrigerate for up to a week. Warm slices briefly in the oven or microwave before serving.
It uses less sugar than most cakes or cobblers, letting the natural sweetness of the blueberries come through. You can reduce the sugar further if you prefer.
For the whole range of blueberry recipes (with photos for each recipe), check out my Blueberry Cookbook. It has over 80 recipes, most of which are exclusive to the cookbook, featuring breakfast recipes, rustic desserts, savory dinner recipes, and preserves.
Blueberry Cornmeal Cake
Equipment
- cast iron skillet 12-inch
- 2 medium to large bowls
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ Cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ Cup granulated sugar plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling on top
- ⅓ Cup yellow cornmeal medium grind
- 1 ½ Teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 Teaspoon baking powder
- ½ Teaspoon baking soda
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest takes about 2 lemons
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 Cup sour cream
- 2 Large eggs
- 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter for greasing the skillet
- 2 Cups fresh blueberries divided
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- confectioners’ sugar for garnish (optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Place a 12-inch cast-iron skillet in oven to preheat (can also use 10-inch skillet but be sure to test for doneness)
- In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar (3/4 cup), cornmeal, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and zest. Stir well (use slotted spoon if possible) to ensure dry ingredients are thoroughly mixed.1 ¼ Cups all-purpose flour, ¾ Cup granulated sugar, ⅓ Cup yellow cornmeal, 1 ½ Teaspoons kosher salt, 1 Teaspoon baking powder, ½ Teaspoon baking soda, 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- In a medium bowl, stir together 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) melted butter, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Stir until ingredients are well blended.Make a well in center of flour mixture. Add butter mixture, stirring more gently to combine.8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 Cup sour cream, 2 Large eggs, 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract
- Remove skillet from oven. Add 1 tablespoon butter to hot skillet, swirling to coat. Add half of batter (about 2 cups) to pan, gently spreading out to cover bottom of pan. Sprinkle half of blueberries (1 cup) evenly over batter. Remaining batter will now be spread over blueberries. It is easiest to do this by dropping large spoonfuls of batter over blueberries in a circle and gently spreading it out to cover the blueberries.Sprinkle remaining 1 cup blueberries on top of this layer of batter. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon granulated sugar evenly over all.1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, 2 Cups fresh blueberries, 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- Bake until a knife or wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes if using 12-inch skillet. Let cool in the skillet for about 30 minutes. Garnish with confectioners’ sugar, if desired and serve on its own or with vanilla ice cream.confectioners’ sugar
How to store? Absolutely delicious! So light and flavorful!
Hi Jean, So glad you enjoyed it! To store: allow it to cool completely, then wrap it tightly or place in an airtight container to keep it from drying out. You can keep it at room temperature for a few days, in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze it for about 3 months.