“You’ll be dreaming of this molten caramel skillet cake with sweet cinnamon, dates, vanilla, and pecans long after your camping trip is over.”
Must have cooking tools
You probably won’t be hiking all day with a cast iron skillet or paella pan slung over your shoulder, but if you’re car camping, our recipes will make you the gourmet hero of the trip.
- bowl to hold chopped vegetables or other ingredients
- large cooler
- large cast iron skillet, or a smaller skillet plus a traditional paella pan
- camping spatula
- cutting board
- corkscrew, or buy a twist-top bottle of wine
- portable campfire grill grate
- tongs
- oven mitts
- camping utensils, plates, bowls, and mugs
- good knife
- Raymond swears by his bush grafting knife, a 3 in (8 cm) blade made with high-density steel. “It’s sharp but also very thick, so you can chip wood and chop vegetables with only one knife.”
For a smaller knife, he likes ESEE knives, survival and military knives made for outdoor adventures: “They’re strong, sharp, and they maintain their blade.”
Ingredients
3 Tbsp (45 mL) extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil
2 Tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup or packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp (2 mL) vanilla extract
1/2 cup (125 mL) unsweetened almond milk
1 1/2 cups (370 mL) date purée, divided
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped pecans, divided
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1 1/4 cup (310 mL) gluten-free flour blend
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda, only if your flour blend doesn’t contain it
1 cup (250 mL) boiling water
Directions
In 8 in (20 cm) cast iron skillet, combine oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, almond milk, and 1/4 cup (60 mL) date purée. Whisk to blend.
In large bowl, combine 1/4 cup (60 mL) pecans with cinnamon, salt, gluten-free flour blend, and baking soda (if needed).
Pour contents of skillet into flour mixture and stir just until combined. Scoop batter back into skillet and smooth out with a spatula to spread evenly.
In small pot or heatproof bowl, combine remaining 1 1/4 cups (310 mL) date purée with boiling water. Pour mixture over cake in skillet. Don’t worry that it looks soupy. Place on grill grate and roast for 30 minutes, uncovered. Sprinkle with remaining pecans and bake
for 10 minutes longer. Serve warm.
