Cornmeal Strawberry Cake Food

CRANBERRY CORNMEAL CAKE

Steps:

• Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and orange zest. Measure 3 tablespoons of the flour mixture into a small bowl. Add the chopped cranberries and toss until coated. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the egg yolks and whole eggs, 1 at a time. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Using a spatula, gently fold in the cranberries.
• Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake until the cake is golden brown, and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut the cake into wedges, arrange on a serving platter and serve with the Caramel Walnut Sauce. (The cake can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight in a plastic container.)

STRAWBERRY-ALMOND CORNMEAL CAKE

Steps:

• Strawberry crumble:
• Pulse almonds in a food processor until about the size of grains of rice. Add strawberries and pulse to a coarse powder. Add flour, sugar, and salt and pulse just to blend. Add butter and process until no dry spots remain.
• Cake and assembly:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat pan with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, break up almond paste in a large bowl until crumbly. Add sugar and butter and mix until blended, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well to incorporate after each addition. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and mix in dry ingredients.
• Scrape batter into pan; scatter strawberries over top, followed by clumps of crumble. Bake cake until top is golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 80-90 minutes. Let cool in pan before unmolding. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
• Do ahead
• Cake can be baked 2 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature.

BERRY CORNMEAL CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 9x9 inch baking dish.
• Stir the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Combine the eggs, condensed milk, milk, oil, and vanilla in a second mixing bowl. Add egg mixture to the cornmeal mixture all at once and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes. Spread berries over the bottom of prepared dish. Spoon batter evenly over the berries to completely cover.
• Bake in preheated oven until top is golden brown, about 45 minutes.

CORNMEAL-STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cover baking sheet with foil.
• Combine flour, corn meal, baking powder, salt and three tablespoons sugar in a food processor and process to blend. Add butter and pulse until mixture is uniformly crumbly. (Ingredients can be mixed by hand.) Transfer to a mixing bowl and lightly stir in egg and buttermilk, moistening ingredients so they can be gathered to make a soft dough.
• Pat dough on a lightly floured board to three-quarter-inch thickness. Cut into six four-inch rounds. Put on baking sheet and bake until barely beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Cool on racks.
• Put strawberries in a bowl and sweeten to taste. Add kirsch. Whip cream until thickened, fold in two tablespoons confectioners' sugar and continue whipping until nearly stiff. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Split shortcakes. Spread bottom halves with some of the whipped cream and top with a layer of strawberries. Spread undersides of top halves with remaining whipped cream and put on cakes. Dust tops with remaining confectioners' sugar. Serve with additional berries spooned around cakes.

CRANBERRY CORNMEAL CAKE

Steps:

• Melt 1/4 cup butter; pour into an ungreased 9-in. round baking pan. Tilt to grease sides of pan. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup brown sugar. Top with cranberries and raisins; set aside. , In a large bowl, cream the remaining butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cornmeal and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Carefully spread over cranberries and raisins., Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving platter. Serve warm.

ALMOND-CORNMEAL STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 6 jumbo muffin tins (each 1-cup capacity); set aside.
• In a food processor, blend 1/2 cup sliced almonds with sugar until finely ground. Add butter, eggs, vanilla, and salt; process until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary (mixture may appear curdled at this point). Add flour and cornmeal; pulse just until moistened.
• Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin tins; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup sliced almonds. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cakes 5 minutes in pan; remove from pan, and transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Hull and quarter strawberries. In a medium bowl, combine with 1/3 cup sugar. Let stand until syrupy, tossing occasionally, at least 20 minutes (and up to 6 hours, covered and refrigerated).
• In another medium bowl, using an electric mixer, whip cream with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar until soft peaks form.
• With a serrated knife, split cooled shortcakes horizontally. Place bottom halves on serving plates. Dividing evenly, layer with sweetened strawberries and whipped cream; cover with shortcake tops.