Chocolate cake in a skillet or oven ceramic?

When we packed up to camp out in a friend's empty apartment for a few weeks waiting for the post-flood repairs, I neglected to bring a cake pan of any sort. Any recos for cake in an iron skillet or in a ceramic baker? Birthday's must have cakes – Cakes must be chocolate – My 4-year-old has very strong convictions about these things...

threefresheggs
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6 Comments

PattiinMS December 10, 2012
Hope you are back in your own home again soon! Living on the Gulf Coast, we have a lot of sympathy and understanding of that transitional style of living. Kind thoughts coming your way! And, I agree with the ceramic baker idea!
 
mrslarkin December 9, 2012
I would lean towards the ceramic baker, too. Maybe check for doneness a few minutes earlier. If you want to pop it out of the pan when serving, grease and flour the baker very well. When done, let it cool slightly, then invert it onto a plate. Or just frost it in the pan, and serve from there. Happy birthday!
 

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ChefOno December 9, 2012

Our posts must have crossed in the either. No adjustment to the recipe should be necessary; minor adjustment to baking time. Glass is a relatively good conductor of heat. Think aluminum pie plates vs. Pyrex.

 
ChefOno December 9, 2012

The ceramic dish should work fine, assuming the size is correct and you've got a working oven. I've baked cakes and cake-like things in both but the thermal mass of the cast iron tends to make for crispy sides.

 
threefresheggs December 9, 2012
I was thinking to just stick the skillet in the oven, but figured it would need an adjusted recipe, because the skillet/ceramic absorb and retain heat at a very different rate than the light, thin tin/steel cake pans are usually made of. I have found some skillet recipes, but thought I might get the opinions of the community of experts before embarking on this mission : )
 
Chef J. December 9, 2012
It'd be very difficult to bake a choco cake in a skillet because the cake needs to be in an oven so it can bake evenly through all sides, the ceramic oven sounds like your best bet
 
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