Cornmeal-Buttermilk Skillet Cake | Everyday Dorie

This cake has a lot going for it, even in the midst of the Covid season. I say that because all-purpose flour is in short supply. Given the supply-chain disruption in our food system, I’ve been paying closer attention to my stock of flour. (I bake bread regularly.) Luckily, cornmeal makes up one-third (76 grams) of the total flour weight in making the cornmeal-buttermilk skillet cake. That leaves only 170 grams of all-purpose flour. Furthermore, the rest of the ingredients are everyday staple items: eggs, sugar, leaveners, buttermilk (I use powder), and butter. For the berries, Dorie says they are optional. In other words, this is an ingredient-friendly cake that does not require a special trip to the store and uses much less flour than most cakes.

I take notice when Dorie says she always find time for this cake, even though she has a long list of favorites. According to her, the cornmeal cake is one of the simplest, plainest cakes she makes. Yet its appeal is so strong that it’s become a standard. She bakes it on the weekend because it lasts a few days. In addition, she makes and presents it as a host/house gift. These are terrific endorsements from Dorie — Covid season or not.

Combine the dry ingredients: flour (170 grams), cornmeal (76 grams), baking powder (1 teaspoon), baking soda (1/4 teaspoon) and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs (2), sugar (200 grams) and vanilla extract until well blended. Gently stir in half of the dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk (1/2 cup or 120 ml) and the rest of the dry ingredients until fully incorporated. Finally, stir in the melted butter (1 stick or 113 grams). The batter is now ready to pour into a 10-inch skillet. Then bake in the preheated 350°F oven for about 30 minutes. Given these simple steps, it’s hard to find an easier cake to bake.

The toothsome texture of the cornmeal cake goes well with whipped cream and more fresh berries as a dessert. For breakfast in the next morning, I put on a spoonful of yogurt, honey, and berries, like you’d on a pancake. That works beautifully as well.

Besides being a good cake to make, the insight I gain from this cornmeal cake is this. Cornmeal or cornflour can be effectively used as a substitution for all-purpose flour in cake baking. Notably, there are also benefits in using cornmeal considering its nutritional value and lack of gluten.

Those bags of cornmeal in the back of the shelf will be put to good use in new ways!