Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the butter in a 9 or 10" cast iron skillet and place in the oven just until melted. Brush the butter around the bottom and sides of the skillet.
While the oven preheats, place the eggs in a blender or food processor and process until foamy. Add the almond milk, maple syrup, orange zest, 1 teaspoon of the vanilla, flour and salt, and process until well combined. Let stand at room temperature until the oven has preheated.
Once the oven has preheated, pulse the pancake batter 2-3 times to redistribute the ingredients. Pour the batter into the skillet evenly and bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown and puffed. Remove from heat -- the pancake will deflate as it cools.
While the pancake bakes, whip the cream. Place the heavy whipping cream, granulated sugar and remaining vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium high speed until medium peaks begin to form. Whisk the cream by hand from there until it reaches the desired consistency (be careful not to over whip or the cream will turn into butter).
Serve with the dutch baby pancake with mixed berries, whipped cream and a dusting of powdered sugar if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
I like to prep all of my ingredients before I preheat the oven so that the flour in the pancake batter has enough time to absorb the liquid.
The whole wheat white flour may be substituted for the same amount of all purpose flour.
Almond milk may be substituted with your favorite milk.
The mixed berries may be substituted with your favorite fruits, or you can even make a savory Dutch baby pancake recipe!
You can substitute the orange zest and vanilla extract with your favorite citrus zest, extract or spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger or my Homemade Chai Spice Mix.
Top with flavored whipped cream, powdered sugar, maple syrup or serve with an array of toppings that your guests can choose from for the ultimate brunch setting!