Pumpkin Skillet Cake
What You Need:
⅔ cup/160 milliliters vegetable oil
1 cup/220 grams light brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ⅓ cup/170 grams all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ¼ cup/300 milliliters pumpkin purée
4 tablespoons/55 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces/115 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups/245 grams confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of fine sea salt
1 ¼ cups/150 grams chopped candied pecans (or plain or toasted pecans), optional
What You Do:
Make the cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-inch oven-safe skillet with butter. In a large bowl, whisk the oil and light brown sugar until well combined (you may need to switch to a rubber spatula after a bit). Add the eggs one at a time and mix after each addition until well incorporated. Mix in the vanilla extract.
Add the flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix well to combine. Add the pumpkin purée and mix until the batter is homogeneous. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet and spread into an even layer with a spatula.
Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (or with just a few moist crumbs), 30 to 35 minutes. Cool completely.
While the cake cools, make the frosting: In a medium bowl, using a rubber spatula or electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese until combined. Add the confectioners' sugar about 1/2 cup/60 grams at a time, mixing well to incorporate between additions. Add the vanilla and salt and mix to combine.
Frost the cooled cake with the cream cheese frosting in an even layer. If using, sprinkle the pecans evenly over the frosting.
