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Spring and Cake

It's going to be 70˚ in the middle of Ohio today. Just knowing that makes the place look a little greener. When Eustacia got off the plane in Cleveland the other day after a week in the lush green of Orlando, this entire state looked black and white. It was like Kansas before the tornado.

Once I got settled in at home, looked through my latest issue of Bon Appétit and bought groceries for the week's menu, I decided to make a cake. I hardly ever make cake, but this one seemed like spring. And I was in desperate need of spring. Well, it not only seems like spring, it smells and tastes like it, too, with lemon and blueberries. Yum. Make this, and bring out some much needed color.

One large lemon should be enough for both the glaze and the blueberry sauce.

Lemon Cornmeal Cake with Lemon Glaze and Blueberry Sauce

Serves 8 to 10

Glaze
1 1/2 cups (packed) powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons (or more) fresh lemon juice

Cake
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled
Crushed-Blueberry Sauce

Preparation
glaze
Combine powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice in small bowl. Stir with spoon until smooth and paste-like, adding more lemon juice by 1/2 teaspoonfuls if glaze is too thick to spread. Set aside.

cake
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides; line bottom with parchment. Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl; whisk to blend. Whisk buttermilk, eggs, lemon peel, and vanilla in small bowl. Pour buttermilk mixture and melted butter into flour mixture. Using rubber spatula, gently fold liquids into flour mixture until just blended (do not stir). Scrape batter into pan; spread evenly.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean and cake pulls away from sides of pan, about 30 minutes.

Immediately run knife around sides of cake. Place rack atop cake in pan. Using oven mitts, hold pan and rack firmly together and invert cake onto rack. Remove pan from cake. Place another rack on bottom of cake; invert 1 more time so that cake is top side up. Stir glaze until blended. While cake is still very hot, drop glaze by tablespoonfuls onto cake; spread to within 1/2 inch of edge (some glaze may drip down sides of cake). Cool completely. Serve with Crushed-Blueberry Sauce (recipe follows).

Crushed Blueberry Sauce

3 cups fresh blueberries or frozen, thawed (13 to 14 ounces), divided
2/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
Pinch of salt

Preparation
Combine 1 1/2 cups blueberries and all remaining ingredients in medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to simmer, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until berries are very soft and liquid is syrupy, stirring often, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat; add remaining blueberries. Using back of spoon, gently press fresh blueberries against side of pan until lightly crushed. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Serve chilled or rewarm before serving, if desired.

from Bon Appétit April 2009

Comments

Shan said…
I am imagining that in my mouth right now. It is delicious.
10:05 AM
dive said…
Lemon and blueberries … Yummy, Robyn!
That looks and sounds delicious.

Love the new hat, by the way!
10:47 AM
Sassy Sundry said…
Mmmm. Tasty.
1:59 PM
Cheltenhamdailyphoto said…
Oooh that looks so yummy. Shan I like your new photo!
4:57 PM
Alifan said…
Hi Robyn, have not seen cornmeal here, what can I use instead???
Sounds so good....may maje the blueberry and lemon sauce to use as it sounds so good...
5:16 AM
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