A well-made cast-iron pan is virtually indestructible and ideally suited for a wide range of cooking methods, including baking, stir-frying, sautéing, deep-frying, and slow cooking. In my kitchen, I keep a range of sizes and styles, from Dutch ovens to griddles, but my extra-large frying pan is the true workhorse. It joins me on every camping trip and sees weekly use at home. When properly seasoned, cast iron develops a dark, porous surface that can withstand high heat, creating the kind of browning and crisping you’ll never achieve in steel or glass.

One of my favorite dishes to showcase cast iron’s magic is the Dutch baby—a dramatic, puffed pancake derived from a German pastry that makes a striking centerpiece for brunch. It can be topped with almost any fruit, from stone fruits to berries to citrus. For fall, I turn to pears and local pecans, letting the syrupy sweetness of fully ripe pears shine. I use the 10-inch skillet from my cast-iron arsenal for this recipe.

Print Recipe

Pear and Pecan Dutch Baby

Servings: 6 to 8

Ingredients

Dutch Baby

  • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 cups milk, room temperature
  • 6 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces

Topping

  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 ripe pears, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick slices
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 3/4 cup pecans, roughly chopped and toasted
  • 1 –2 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 1 lemon, sliced into wedges

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, whisk dry ingredients together. In a second bowl, whisk milk, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Add about two-thirds of the wet ingredients to the dry mix and whisk until incorporated. Add remaining wet ingredients and whisk until no lumps of flour remain.
  • In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Pour in batter and place skillet in a cold oven. Turn the heat to 400°F and bake for 35 minutes, until golden and puffy.
  • While the Dutch baby bakes, prepare the pear topping. Mix sour cream and heavy cream in a small bowl and set aside.
  • Add butter to a hot skillet over medium heat. Once butter melts, add sliced pears and brown sugar. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until pears begin to caramelize, about 5–7 minutes. Sprinkle with spices and stir gently. Sauté for about 1 minute more, remove from heat, and set aside.
  • As soon as you remove the Dutch baby from the oven, top with spiced pears, toasted pecans, and dollops of sour cream and heavy cream mixture. Finish with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
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Stephanie Cameron was raised in Albuquerque and earned a degree in fine arts at the University of New Mexico. She is the art director, head photographer, recipe tester, marketing guru, publisher, and owner of edible New Mexico and The Bite.