One of the things we love the most about cooking in a Dutch oven is the ability to produce baked goods wherever our adventures take us. However, it does have a bit of a learning curve to it. Unlike your home oven, where the temperature can be precisely set with the turn of a knob, keeping a consistent temperature in a Dutch oven can require diligent attention. But with a little practice, you can be baking up a storm anywhere you go.
This light and fluffy raspberry cake is a great place to start. It begins with a basic cake batter and incorporates some fresh seasonal raspberries. Once the batter is ready, you will want to line the inside of your Dutch oven with parchment paper. We use the lid to trace out and cut a circle. Trust us, the parchment paper will make clean up a lot simpler!
With the batter evenly spread inside the Dutch oven, it's time to arrange your coals. While there are a lot of charts online saying to use X number of coals to achieve X temperature, we have never found them to be accurate in the real world. Besides, if you are using embers from a wood fire those charts aren't very helpful anyway.
The general rule for baking is that you will need more heat on the top than on the bottom. Roughly a 2:1 ratio. After that, you will be aiming for an internal temperature of around 350 to 375°F. We do this by feel, but if you really want to put a number on it, you can use a thermometer with an electronic probe. Also, don't be afraid to check periodically to see how it's doing. You can always add more heat to bring it up to temperature.
So if you're looking to practice your baking skills with your Dutch oven, give this simple raspberry cake a try.
Dutch Oven Raspberry Cake
Yield: 10-inch cake (about 8 slices)
Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ stick butter
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 pint raspberries
- Whipped cream
Directions
Step 1
In a large mixing bowl, blend the sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth, then stir in the milk. In a smaller mixing bowl, blend the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Step 2
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients a little bit at a time, stirring to incorporate. Fold in the raspberries.
Step 3
Pour the batter (it will be pretty thick) into a lined or well-greased 10" Dutch oven. Place the Dutch oven on a bed of 5 coals, and add 18 to the top of the lid (you're aiming for 350-375F). Baked for about 30 minutes, until the center is cooked through.
Step 4
Remove from the heat and let cool before lifting the cake out of the oven. Serve with additional berries and a dollop of whipped cream.
