Cranberry Chocolate Skillet Cake

This cranberry chocolate skillet cake is sweet, moist, chocolatey and delicious. Fresh orange zest adds bright citrus flavor which goes well with the tart cranberries and sweet dark chocolate. I prefer eating this cake while it’s still slightly warm, so that the chocolate chunks are still a bit gooey.

Not only is this cake delicious, I also happen to love it’s presentation – served in a cast iron skillet. Simple, but beautiful. You can use a regular loaf pan to make this cake too if you prefer. I called my mom right after making this cake to tell her how good it was. She wanted to make something for dessert that evening, so I emailed her the recipe and she made a delicious dark chocolate pear and ginger loaf because she didn’t have any cranberries on hand (everyone loved it!). You can use any fruit in place of the cranberries, but personally I love the tart flavor of cranberries in combination with honey, orange and dark chocolate.

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I know a lot of folks are looking to eat healthier in 2015, and while this cranberry dark chocolate cake is a dessert, it’s a much healthier option than many other sweets out there. Eating a real food, Paleo-friendly diet means that you can have your cake, and eat it too 🙂 Just not too much, and not all the time.

Goodbye 2014. I wish all of you a healthy and happy New Year!

Chocolate Cranberry Skillet Cake

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• Author: Ashley Thomas

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Ingredients

Cranberry Chocolate Skillet Cake

• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
• 1 ½ cup almond flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
• 3 tablespoons palm shortening
• 3-4 tablespoons honey, (I prefer 3, my husband prefers 4)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• ⅓ – 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks or chocolate chips (I prefer 1/3, husband would prefer the entire bag…)

Garnish

• 1 (13.5 ounce) can of coconut milk, full fat, refrigerate overnight

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Instructions

Cranberry Chocolate Skillet Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Add the coconut oil to an 8-inch cast iron skillet. Spread the oil around the pan and allow any remaining oil to sit in the bottom of skillet.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to a blender – except for the cranberries and chocolate. Blend until smooth.
4. Fold the cranberries and chocolate chips into the batter, then pour the batter into the skillet.
5. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Let cool on a wire rack.
7. Garnish with whipped coconut cream if desired, then serve.

Whipped coconut cream:

1. Place a can of coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight. This will cause the cream to separate from the milk.
2. Place the cream into a bowl and whip with a hand-mixer until fluffy. If you have a stand mixer, you can also use that to whip the cream until fluffy.
3. Place the whipped cream in the fridge until you’re ready to garnish the cake.
4. Save the leftover coconut milk for a smoothie!

Notes

If you use a loaf pan instead of a skillet, leave out the coconut oil and just grease your loaf pan.