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.
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!
- 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 - ½ cup dark chocolate chunks or chocolate chips (I prefer ⅓, husband would prefer the entire bag...)
- 1 (13.5 ounce) can of coconut milk, full fat, refrigerate overnight
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- 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.
- Add the remaining ingredients to a blender - except for the cranberries and chocolate. Blend until smooth.
- Fold the cranberries and chocolate chips into the batter, then pour the batter into the skillet.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let cool on a wire rack.
- Garnish with whipped coconut cream if desired, then serve.
- Place a can of coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight. This will cause the cream to separate from the milk.
- 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.
- Place the whipped cream in the fridge until you’re ready to garnish the cake.
- Save the leftover coconut milk for a smoothie!
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