Chef notes
This rustic cornmeal pound cake with its simple honey-butter glaze is not your average cake; it has a flavor profile all its own, with a faint reminder of the tender and moist cornbread I remember growing up on, which was usually served table side in a cast-iron skillet. For this recipe, I borrowed a page from both the cornbread and pound cake books of my baking past; the two concepts seamlessly blend into something quite special.
Equipment needed: Stand mixer or hand mixer, cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons honey
Preparation
For the cake:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Liberally prepare a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or round pan with the nonstick method of your choice.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter for 2 minutes on high speed. Slowly add the sugar. Cream together for an additional 5 minutes, until very pale yellow and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, combining well after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Turn your mixer down to its lowest speed and slowly add the flour and cornmeal in 2 batches. Add the salt. Be careful not to overbeat. Pour in the buttermilk and vanilla extract.Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix the batter until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared skillet or pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Set aside to slightly cool. Lightly cover the cake with foil or plastic wrap so it does not dry out.
For the honey-butter glaze:
Whisk the butter and honey together until well blended. Serve the cake with the glaze spooned over each portion.
Reprinted with permission from Grandbaby Cakes by Jocelyn Delk Adams, Agate Surrey, 2015
