The Secret Trick for Best-Ever Baking with a Cast-Iron Skillet

The best thing you can do for your cast-iron pan is pretty simple—use it! But for best results, you still need to make sure you’re using it properly. Master cast iron cooking with our guide. When baking, knowing how to preheat cast iron can make a world of difference. Here’s why.

(Don’t own a cast-iron skillet yet? Here’s our Test Kitchen’s favorite.)

The Benefits of Preheating

We love baking in cast iron for a number of reasons. The skillet holds heat better than other materials, is incredibly versatile and actually adds a bit of iron to your diet. But despite some popular cooking myths, cast iron does not heat evenly—or quickly.

That’s why preheating is such an important (and often overlooked) step. Whether you’re baking, searing, frying or roasting in the oven, preheating the pan will help your food cook faster and more evenly—but that’s not where the benefits end.

Preheating will also keep dough from sticking, help to caramelize the bottom of a tart or cookie, and create a bit of char on protein (like this gorgeous steak) if you’re going savory. Plus, it’s a super simple step!

How to Preheat Cast Iron

In the oven

While you preheat the oven for your recipe, just put the pan inside as you prepare the recipe. When it’s time to remove the skillet, do so carefully—it’ll be scorching hot. (These handle hot pads will help.)

On the stovetop

First, find out if your stovetop will support cast iron. Heat the pan gradually—about 10 minutes is recommended—and rotate it on the burner every few minutes so the heat is evenly applied. Same with the oven-heating method: Be careful!

If you get distracted and forget to rotate the pan, let it cool down and start again. Remember, cast iron retains heat beautifully—whether you want it to or not—so it’ll take a bit to lose the hot spot.

So, now that you know the secret, go bake up one of these amazing cast-iron skillet treats!

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Skillet Stout BrowniesThese stout brownies are so rich and fudgy. I love how quickly they come together. They're perfect for a busy weeknight. —Mandy Naglich, New York, New York

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PizookieBake up the ultimate shareable cookie. For variety, replace the chocolate chips with an equal quantity of M&M's or chocolate chunks. Or go super fancy by mixing the chocolate chips and pecans into the dough, then gently folding in 1-1/2 cup fresh raspberries.—James Schend, Taste of Home Deputy Editor

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Skillet Blueberry SlumpMy mother-in-law made a slump of wild blueberries with dumplings and served it warm with a pitcher of farm cream. We’ve been enjoying slump desserts for 60 years. —Eleanore Ebeling, Brewster, Minnesota

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Skillet Pineapple Upside-Down CakeFor a change of pace, you can substitute fresh or frozen peach slices for the pineapple in this old-fashioned recipe. —Bernardine Melton, Paola, Kansas

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Cherry-Peach DumplingsYou can make this fruity dessert on your stovetop, but to really impress your guests, simmer it in an electric skillet right at the dinner table. There’s no more convenient way to enjoy the fruits of the season. —Patricia Frerk, Syracuse, New York

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Southern Peach Upside-Down CakeA dear friend from the South gave me the idea for this peachy cake. I add bourbon and top each slice with vanilla or cinnamon ice cream. —Trista Jefferson, Batavia, Ohio

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Bluebarb PieIf you're a fan of strawberry-rhubarb pie, you'll want to try this twist on the classic. Here, blueberries provide the sweet counterpoint to the tart rhubarb, with mouthwatering results. —Steve Gyuro, Franklin, Wisconsin

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Berry WhirligigBlackberries are an Oregon treasure. We love to go out and pick our own. Whatever we don’t eat fresh, we freeze to enjoy whenever we start dreaming of this irresistible treat. —Pearl Stanford, Medford, Oregon

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Giant Buckeye CookieI’m from Ohio, and we love our buckeye candy! Buckeyes are a delicious combination of peanut butter and chocolate, which is exactly what this cookie is. All you need is a box of cake mix, a few common pantry ingredients, and voila—you have a tasty dessert ready for family and friends in under an hour. You can customize it, too, by substituting other mix-ins for the chocolate chips. We serve it warm with ice cream or whipped cream. —Arianna Harding, Cincinnati, Ohio

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Tillie's Ginger Crumb CakeThis recipe goes back at least as far as my grandmother, who was born in the early 1900s. Our sons and I enjoy eating it in a bowl with milk poured on it—much to the dismay of my husband, who prefers it plain! —Kathy Nienow Clark, Byron, Michigan

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Cast-Iron Cherry-Berry Peach PieI had an overabundant supply of cherries one year, so I adapted several recipes to use them up. I knew this one was a keeper when I received phone calls from my mother and grandmother complimenting me on this pie. —Amy Hartke, Elgin, Illinois

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Grilled Cranberry Pear CrumbleMy husband loves it when I make dessert. Fruit crisps are easy and quick to prepare, so I make them often! I created this fall-flavored grilled version with fresh pears and items I had on hand. We loved it. —Ronna Farley, Rockville, Maryland

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Plum Upside-Down CakeSince my husband liked pineapple upside-down cake, I decided to give this recipe a try one night when we were expecting guests for dinner. Everyone pronounced this cake "Delicious!" and asked for seconds.—Bobbie Talbott, Veneta, Oregon

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Caramel-Apple Skillet BuckleMy grandma used to bake a version of this for me when I was a little girl. She would make it using fresh apples from her tree in the backyard. I've adapted her recipe because I love the combination of apples, pecans and caramel. —Emily Hobbs, Springfield, Missouri

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Macaroon-Topped Rhubarb CobblerCrumbled macaroons are a surprising addition to this cobbler’s topping. We love that you can make the sweet treat in a baking dish or a cast-iron skillet. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Apple Gingerbread Skillet Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Apple Gingerbread Skillet CakeThis gingerbread recipe came from my grandmother, and we always ate it with warm applesauce. I adapted it into a one-pan dessert by layering the apples around the bottom of a cast-iron skillet and topping them with the gingerbread batter. The skillet creates a wonderfully thick crust on the gingerbread. —Mary M. Leverette, Columbia, South Carolina

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Berry Bliss Cobbler Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Berry Bliss CobblerA little bit sweet, a little bit tart and topped off with golden sugar-kissed biscuits, this cobbler is summer perfection. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

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Strawberry Buttermilk Skillet ShortcakeThis scratch-made strawberry buttermilk cake is a family favorite. The recipe is over 100 years old, and I remember my grandma making it. We still carry on the family tradition by making this old-fashioned recipe each summer. —Claudia Lamascolo, Melbourne, Florida

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Cinnamon-Sugar Apple PieCinnamon apple pie baked in a cast iron skillet is a real stunner. This beauty, with its flaky, tender crust, also works in a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. —Renee Schettler Rossi, New York, New York

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Banana Skillet Upside-Down CakeMy grandmother gave me my first cast iron skillet, and I've been cooking and baking with it ever since. Sometimes I add drained maraschino cherries to this banana skillet dessert and serve it with a ice cream. —Terri Merritts, Nashville, Tennessee

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Milk CakeThis is a simple recipe—and especially easy in a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. The result is a deliciously light, airy cake. —Suzanne Coelman, Rabun Gap, Georgia

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