Blueberry and Lemon Cornmeal Cake
Makes: 12 to 16 servings
Ingredients:
Butter for prepping the pan
2 cups Old Mill all-purpose flour
1 cup Old Mill yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
7 ounces (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Grated zest of 1 lemon (1 teaspoon)
Juice of 1 lemon (2 tablespoons)
1 container (15 ounces) whole milk ricotta cheese, about 2 cups
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, divided use
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Directions:
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter, and place the pan on a baking sheet and set aside.
2. Place the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Set aside.
3. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy, 30 seconds. Add the sugar, and beat on medium until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each egg is incorporated, about 20 seconds each. Add the maple syrup, oil, and the grated lemon zest and juice. Blend on medium speed until well combined, 45 seconds.
4. Turn about a third of the dry ingredients into the batter and blend on low until just incorporated. Add half of the ricotta cheese and blend. Add another third dry ingredients and blend, then add the rest of the ricotta, and finally the rest of the dry ingredients, blending just to incorporate. Fold 1 1/2 cups of the blueberries into the batter, and blend on low speed to break up the berries a bit, about 30 seconds. Turn the batter into the prepared pan. Scatter the remaining cup of blueberries on top of the batter, and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Place the baking sheet with springform pan in the oven.
5. Bake until the cake is well browned, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 to 20 minutes. After 1 hour, gently cover the top of the cake with foil to protect it from over-browning. Remove the cake from the oven, and let the cake cool in the pan 20 to 25 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan, and unfasten the sides of the pan. Let the cake cool completely before slicing, about 1 hour. Slice and serve with vanilla ice cream.
The Old Mill Farmhouse Kitchen is located in Pigeon Forge. For more information visit Old-Mill.com