Cornmeal Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Strawberries
By America's Test KitchenPublished on April 21, 2020
Time
1¾ hours, plus 2 hours cooling
Yield
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
Cake
¾ cup (3¾ ounces/106 grams) cornmeal, plus extra for pan1 ½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon table salt 1 ½ cups (10½ ounces/298 grams) plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided1 cup buttermilk, room temperature14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted3 large eggs, room temperature½ teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon almond extractFrosting
6 ounces (170 grams) cream cheese, softened4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened1 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) confectioners' sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch table saltTopping
12 ounces (340 grams) strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered if large2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons chopped toasted pistachioBefore You Begin
We developed this recipe using Quaker Yellow Corn Meal.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom, sides, and center of 10-cup tube pan, then dust pan with cornmeal, tapping out excess.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cornmeal together in bowl. Whisk 1½ cups sugar, buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract in separate bowl until fully combined. Whisk flour mixture into sugar mixture until just combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan, smoothing into even layer with rubber spatula, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
- Bake until top is browned and paring knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. Run paring knife around edges and center of pan. Invert cake onto parchment paper–lined baking sheet (cake will be sugared side down). Remove pan, place wire rack on top of cake, and reinvert cake sugared side up. Let cake cool completely, about 2 hours.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add sugar, vanilla, and salt and mix on low speed until sugar is moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and smooth, about 3 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until slightly firm, at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- Spread frosting evenly over top of cake. Pile strawberries evenly over top of frosting. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with pistachios. Serve.
for the cake
for the frosting
for the topping
Time
1¾ hours, plus 2 hours coolingYield
Serves 8 to 10Ingredients
Cake
¾ cup (3¾ ounces/106 grams) cornmeal, plus extra for pan
1 ½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
1 ½ cups (10½ ounces/298 grams) plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
Frosting
6 ounces (170 grams) cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) confectioners' sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch table salt
Topping
12 ounces (340 grams) strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered if large
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons chopped toasted pistachio
Ingredients
Cake
¾ cup (3¾ ounces/106 grams) cornmeal, plus extra for pan
1 ½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
1 ½ cups (10½ ounces/298 grams) plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
Frosting
6 ounces (170 grams) cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) confectioners' sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch table salt
Topping
12 ounces (340 grams) strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered if large
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons chopped toasted pistachio
Ingredients
Cake
¾ cup (3¾ ounces/106 grams) cornmeal, plus extra for pan
1 ½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon table salt
1 ½ cups (10½ ounces/298 grams) plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs, room temperature
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
Frosting
6 ounces (170 grams) cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) confectioners' sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch table salt
Topping
12 ounces (340 grams) strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered if large
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons chopped toasted pistachio
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted a light, airy cornmeal cake that would be equally appropriate at a backyard barbecue and an elegant summer gathering. A higher ratio of flour to cornmeal proved to be important for keeping the cake tender. Baking the cake in a tube pan gave it a sophisticated look, and a bit of sugar sprinkled on before baking melted in the oven to give the cake a lightly sweet, golden top. For a tangy, pillowy frosting, we whipped together softened cream cheese, butter, and confectioners' sugar with a splash of vanilla extract. We piled halved strawberries on top of the frosting before drizzling them with honey and sprinkling on some toasted pistachios for a cake that sings of summer.
Before You Begin
We developed this recipe using Quaker Yellow Corn Meal.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom, sides, and center of 10-cup tube pan, then dust pan with cornmeal, tapping out excess.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and cornmeal together in bowl. Whisk 1½ cups sugar, buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract in separate bowl until fully combined. Whisk flour mixture into sugar mixture until just combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan, smoothing into even layer with rubber spatula, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
- Bake until top is browned and paring knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. Run paring knife around edges and center of pan. Invert cake onto parchment paper–lined baking sheet (cake will be sugared side down). Remove pan, place wire rack on top of cake, and reinvert cake sugared side up. Let cake cool completely, about 2 hours.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add sugar, vanilla, and salt and mix on low speed until sugar is moistened, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and smooth, about 3 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until slightly firm, at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- Spread frosting evenly over top of cake. Pile strawberries evenly over top of frosting. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with pistachios. Serve.
for the cake
for the frosting
for the topping
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