How to bake a cake in a cast iron

ADK Camper wrote:
Years ago we had a pop up with a stove but no oven. I made coffee cakes and muffins on top of the stove by improvising an oven with a cast iron skillet and a large kettle. Here's how: put three bolts, nuts or any fireproof small item in the skillet. (This will create a small air space under your cake) Put the cake or muffins in a pan that will fit in the skillet and put it on the bolts. Invert the large kettle and put it on top of the skillet. Apply medium high heat, and periodically peak to see if the cake is done. This works best if there is a fair amount of space around the cake pan. So use a large skillet and a small cake pan.

That makes a lot of sense bc we swear it started burning the second we put it on the burner. A little lift would probably have saved it from burning.

Years ago we had a pop up with a stove but no oven. I made coffee cakes and muffins on top of the stove by improvising an oven with a cast iron skillet and a large kettle. Here's how: put three bolts, nuts or any fireproof small item in the skillet. (This will create a small air space under your cake) Put the cake or muffins in a pan that will fit in the skillet and put it on the bolts. Invert the large kettle and put it on top of the skillet. Apply medium high heat, and periodically peak to see if the cake is done. This works best if there is a fair amount of space around the cake pan. So use a large skillet and a small cake pan.

NYCgrrl wrote:

Can't wait to show this vid to my DGD. She loves tiny RVs and icing from the can too:B. Thanks much for sharing and slightly off topic I wuvv your slipcovers! Did you make the piping or buy it premade? Are the closed with zippers or Velcro?

Thank you! My sister in law made them for us. We went to JoAnns, picked our our favorites and she made them with zippers so we can wash easily (we have two dogs) She INSISTED on the piping and we kept saying "no, no no no" and she was like "no really guys, piping will tie it all together" and we're so happy we did it!

Well gotta love the cake mix. My Nana always said use Duncan Hines but then Funfetti hadn't been invented yet;).

Admirable manner youse came up with to bake a cake but like others noted you want to surround the baking implement with heat. When tent camping I use a charcoal chimney starter on the bottom, a cast iron skillet between and top the whole shebang with a disposable aluminum pan filled with charcoal briquets.


Can't wait to show this vid to my DGD. She loves tiny RVs and icing from the can too:B. Thanks much for sharing and slightly off topic I wuvv your slipcovers! Did you make the piping or buy it premade? Are the closed with zippers or Velcro?

magnusfide wrote:

ppine wrote:
Your setup has no top heat. I use a Dutch Oven on a fire and put the majority of the heat on the lid.

Double ditto.

But everyone has to try it their way and HCW get an A for effort from me. Trial and Error are two of the best teachers in life. :c

We really did try! And we thought it was too funny not to share the actual way it turned out. Sure we could have done another one and filmed it but sometimes things just don't go as planned.

ppine wrote:
Your setup has no top heat. I use a Dutch Oven on a fire and put the majority of the heat on the lid.

Double ditto.

But everyone has to try it their way and HCW get an A for effort from me. Trial and Error are two of the best teachers in life. :c

ppine wrote:
Your setup has no top heat. I use a Dutch Oven on a fire and put the majority of the heat on the lid.

So true! We wanted to cook inside and thought coals would be too messy... the thing you don't see is us attempting to heat up "rocks" to substitute...needless to say our "survivalist video watching" didn't help, one hour later the rocks were still cold haha.

Your setup has no top heat. I use a Dutch Oven on a fire and put the majority of the heat on the lid.