Author Notes
This cake is a study in textures. It has just enough cornmeal to give it structure and a yellow tint, without weighing down the batter. It bakes up lofty and tender, with a crackly sheen on top dotted with pecans. Adapted very slightly from The New England Cookbook (Harvard Common Press, 1999) —Genius Recipes
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Ingredients
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1 cup
all-purpose flour
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3 tablespoons
cornmeal
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1 teaspoon
baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon
salt
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1/4 pound
(1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
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1 cup
1 tablespoon sugar, divided use
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2
eggs
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1/3 cup
whole or lowfat milk
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1 1/2 teaspoons
vanilla extract
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1/2 teaspoon
grated lemon zest
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2 cups
blueberries
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1 cup
chopped pecans or walnuts
Directions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
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Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
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Using an electric mixer or a food processor, cream the butter and 1 cup of the sugar together until smooth. Add the eggs, milk, vanilla, and lemon zest and process or beat until smooth. Spoon the flour mixture into the processor or bowl and pulse or beat just until the flour is incorporated. If the batter is in a food processor, transfer it to a large bowl.
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Sprinkle the blueberries over the batter and gently fold them in, just until combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle with the nuts and then with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar.
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Bake until the nuts are deep brown and a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool. (The cake can be wrapped well and stored at cool room temperature for 1 day or frozen.)
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Cut into squares or wedges in the pan to serve.
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