Lemon Cornmeal Cake is one of those cakes that it’s genius is in its simplicity. It is similar to corn bread, but lighter, with a moist, melt in your mouth texture. The cake itself is buttery with a hint of lemon due to some freshly grated zest, and the glaze on top adds just the right amount of a lemon kick. Overall I was quite pleased how it came out. It’s the type of cake you can whip up and have on the counter in under an hour. Nothing fancy, but the perfect little cake when you are craving something lemony and sweet.
If you bake, then you probably have most of the ingredients already in your pantry to make this cake. I always try to have a couple of fresh lemons in my fruit bowl because they are needed so much in baking as well as cooking throughout the week. If you do not, make sure you grab a couple on your next shopping trip. You need to use fresh lemon juice for this recipe. That stuff in a bottle will simply not do.
Lemon Cornmeal Cake
Print Recipe
Lemon Cornmeal Cake
Ingredients
- 1½ cups - all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup - yellow cornmeal
- 3/4 cup - sugar
- 3½ teaspoons - baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon - salt
- 1 cup - buttermilk
- 2 - large eggs
- 3/4 teaspoon - vanilla
- 1/2 cup - unsalted butter melted ( one stick)
- zest of 1 lemon - about 1 tablespoon (zest lemon first before squeezing for lemon juice)
Lemon Glaze
- 1½ cups - confectionery sugar powdered
- 2 - 3 tablespoons - fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Preheat oven for 350° F.
Mise en Place
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Butter a 9 inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Finely zest the lemon and put aside. Melt the butter carefully stove-top or in the microwave and let cool. Measure out the rest of the ingredients. Video - Cutting parchment paper for a round cake pan.
Make the cake
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In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and the salt.
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In a second bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and the lemon zest. Mix in the melted butter.
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Pour in the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture. With a spatula gently fold the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until just mixed. Do not over mix.
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Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 - 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
While the cake is baking.
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Make the lemon glaze. In a small bowl, stir together the confectionery sugar and the fresh squeezed lemon juice. Add more or less sugar or juice as needed to make a thick but pour-able glaze.
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When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately run a knife around the edges of the pan and invert the cake on to a cooling rack. Remove the piece of parchment paper and then invert the cake again on to a second cooling rack so the top of the cake is upright.
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While the cake is still warm, pour the glaze over the top and spread around evenly. The glaze may drip down over the sides which is perfectly fine. Let the cake cool and serve.
Recipe Notes
- If you have everything on hand but the buttermilk, you can easily make a variation of your own that is perfectly fine for baking. Take one cup of milk (whole or 2%) and add one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Stir and let sit for 10 to 30 minutes. It will look frothy and a little curdled which is perfect and now ready to use.
Kate says
I made this yesterday. So good!!! Thank you.