
Cast Iron Dutch Baby Pancake
Forget all other camping sweet treats, once you’ve made this Dutch baby pancake, nothing else will come close!
- Serves: 4-8 |
- Difficulty: easy
- Prep Time : 20 mins |
- Cook Time : 25 mins


Ingredients
Pancake Mix
1 C (250 ml) cake flour
½ tsp (2,5 ml) salt
1 C (250 ml) milk
6 large eggs
1 Tbsp (15 ml) vanilla extract
You’ll Need
a large flat bottom potjie (+/- 30×10 cm)
a pastry brush
Toppings
1 C (250 ml) cream *(see tip 3)
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
small punnet (180 g) fresh blueberries
small punnet (180 g) fresh cherries
additional 1 Tbsp (15 ml) icing sugar for dusting
Method
Build a medium-size fire and let it burn down to coals. Using a spade, create a circle in the coals large enough for your pot to fit. Leave a little border of space around the potjie so that no coals are touching the pot. Let the potjie preheat with the lid on for at least 20 minutes.
Pancake Mix
Add the flour, sugar, salt, milk, eggs and vanilla to a large mixing bowl (see tip 1 below). Whisk very well with a whisk until smooth and combined (if making at home, you can use a hand blender to mix). Let the batter sit while the pot is heating so that the flour can absorb the liquid properly. Just before you are about to add the batter to the potjie, give the mixture another good whisk.
Remove the potjie lid and add the butter to the pot. Use a brush to move the butter around to coat the inside, ensuring that you coat the sides as well. Carefully pour the batter into the hot potjie and close the lid. Place 15 coals spread out on top of the lid and bake for 25 minutes. (See tip 2 for cooking in the oven.)
After 25 minutes, remove the potjie from the fire and open the lid. The pancake will collapse in on itself (similar to a Yorkshire pudding). Let it cool for a few minutes, then carefully remove it from the potjie using a spatula and place onto a serving plate.
Toppings
When there is 5 minutes left to go on the cook time, pour the cream into a clean bowl and whisk with a clean whisk until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and whisk until stiff peaks form.
To Serve
Dust with icing sugar then top with fresh cream and berries. Slice into pizza-style slices and serve.
*Tip 1: if you plan to make this recipe while camping, measure out the dry ingredients at home and seal in a mixing bowl with a lid. Simply add the wet ingredients to the pre measured dry ingredients when you are ready to cook.
*Tip 2: To cook at home in the oven, place the potjie into the oven and preheat to 220º C. Remove the pot and brush the inside with melted butter; add the pancake batter, close the lid and bake for 25 minutes.
*Tip 3: if you are planning to make this while away camping, you can opt to use a long life cream or imitation cream that doesn’t require refrigeration. Alternatively, use an aerosol cream that doesn’t require whipping.