The best way to eat dessert might be family-style. There's something fabulously fun and simple about bringing a large portion of something sweet to the table, putting it right smack dab in the middle and telling everyone to dig in. And then you can experience the sheer joy of it all, bite by messy, delicious bite. It's family memories in the making -- in this case, gooey chocolate memories. I can't think of any dessert recipe better for this Father's Day weekend.
Grab a handful of spoons, add a hot, gooey pan of fudgy cake that's covered in warm chocolate pecan frosting and topped with vanilla bean ice cream slowly melting on top. Then let the whole family have at it. This one is meant to be shared and devoured, with spoons clanking together playfully as everyone dives for that perfect ratio of ice cream to cake to frosting. Important note: Don't forget the napkins. This dessert is messy and it's meant to be. Leftovers are very, very unlikely. Just saying.
Warm chocolate skillet cake
Serves 4-6
For the cake:
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
For the frosting:
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons cocoa
4 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
For serving:
Vanilla ice cream
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, sugar and salt. Set aside.
2. Place a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter. Whisk in the oil, cocoa powder and water and bring it to a simmer. Remove it from the heat and mix in the dry ingredients until well combined. Whisk in the buttermilk, egg and vanilla until smooth. Place the skillet in the oven and bake 15-20 minutes or until just set.
3. As soon as the cake is out of the oven, begin making the frosting. In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the butter, cocoa and milk and bring it to a simmer. Remove from heat and whisk in the powdered sugar, pecans, and vanilla. Pour the warm frosting over the warm cake and spread gently with a spatula to cover. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Maya Evoy lives in Nikiski and blogs about food at alaskafromscratch.com. Have a food question or recipe request? Email maya@alaskafromscratch.com and your inquiry may appear in a future column.