a cornmeal summer
Every summer I go back and forth over which ingredient is going to be my muse. Consistently, however, over the past 2 (ish) years it has been cornmeal.
As soon as the clock strikes may, I go feral for a piece of cornbread. Lightly sweet, cooked in tons of fat and soaks up anything that sits on top.
The flavor of cornmeal is so haunting, in such a good way, that every time I have it, it’s like the very first time.
I have always loved cornbread, but I really wanted it to be present in a deeper, more cloying way. And thus, a cake (unsurprisingly) was formed. A simple, butter-based cake that can be served a million different ways.
Cornmeal matches perfectly with a ton of different ingredients, but one of the best ones is fruit. Juicy, slightly sweetened early season fruit is the best way to enjoy this.
The method is somewhere between a maceration and a light dusting but the result is a Tanghulu style coating that doesn’t overwhelm the fruit. A method I have called “Pearling” (it really isn’t that deep) Fruit that is barely coated in sugar, so that when it sits, it simultaneously sweetens it just enough but not enough to break down the fruit. Letting the fruit sit for 10 minutes max then topping the cake with cream is just classic, classic, classic summer.
Ice Cream Cake
There was a restaurant trend amongst the online foodies (a group I refuse to be a part of) of corn milk ice cream. A sentiment I get(?) but I am usually turned off when a restaurant gives into a trend, however, corn and dairy is a very good combination. The sweetness of the corn and fat cutting richness of the milk makes it a perfect candidate for an ice cream cake.
Ice cream cake. What can I say. I love it. If you come to my house, odds are you will get a slice of ice cream cake from my deep freezer because I just refuse to never have any at any time I want it. Ice cream cake is not only incredible tasting but almost more importantly, it’s funny. If I am doing one thing this summer it’s being more funny (me to me) and I’m starting with ice cream cake.
You can definitely use store bought ice cream (I recommend) but I think homemade soft serve is so easy to make, you might as well.
Soft Serve
16 oz of heavy cream
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
Mix in a stand mixer or hand mixer until the consistency of whipped cream. Then freeze on top of the cooled cake.
Cornmeal Butter Cake
Tools – 9-inch cake pan or springform pan
Stand mixer or hand mixer
Ingredients
1 ⅔ cup of all-purpose flour / 228g
⅓ cup of fine ground cornmeal / 60g
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of baking powder
1 tsp of kosher salt
⅔ cup of white sugar / 67g
⅓ cup of brown sugar / 60g
1 ¼ cup of buttermilk / 287g
¼ cup of neutral oil (canola, vegetable, coconut, etc.) / 32g
1 stick of unsalted butter - room temperature / 113g
2 large eggs / 100g
Instructions
Prepare a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan with either nonstick spray or parchment and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In two separate bowls add the dry (flour, baking powder/baking soda, salt and cornmeal) and the buttermilk in another.
Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, combine the softened butter and both sugars. Mix at a medium high speed for 3-5 minutes until both are completely combined.
At medium speed, add in one egg at a time, completely incorporating them before adding another. Once the eggs are added, slowly stream in the oil while mixing. Finish mixing at high speed until the mixture lightens in color and increases in volume.
Alternating ingredients, add in the dry a third at a time then add half the buttermilk. Mixing in between additions, repeat until all ingredients have been added. Mix one last time by hand to make sure all the dry ingredients are well incorporated.
Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 35-45 minutes or until the cake comes out clean when tested with a toothpick.
Allow to completely cool at room temperature before slicing.