I just love corn - always have, always will. In fact, my whole family enjoys this humble vegetable in almost any dish. The history of corn is actually a fascinating one. Corn was thought to have originated from a type of wild grass almost 7000 years ago in central Mexico. It is a very healthy vegetable being a rich source of folate, dietary fiber and both Vitamins B1 and C. Corn is also thought to promote good cardiovascular and lung health as well.

Fresh sweet corn always reminds me of summer time and I try to use fresh corn as much as possible whenever it’s in season. My moist & delicious Corn Cake makes for a great breakfast, brunch, light meal or side dish. This versatile corn cake recipe is that it can be made either sweet or savory depending upon your mood or personal preference ☺. I have decided to make a sweet version here, but check below at the bottom of the recipe to see the savory version. The recipe is fairly similar & equally delicious! You can also just as easily use frozen corn (well thawed & drained) for this dish and enjoy it all year round.


MOIST & DELICIOUS SWEET CORN CAKE

Ingredients:

3½ to 4 cups fresh corn kernels

1 cup milk

1 cup unsalted butter, cubed & softened at room temperature

¾ cup sugar
8 eggs, separated

¾ cup rice flour

1 tbsp baking powder

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup heavy cream

1 tsp salt

you will also need a well buttered 9x12” baking pan

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, making sure there is an oven rack available in the center of the oven.

Using a blender, combine the corn kernels with the milk & blend until you have a thick, coarse puree. Set aside until needed.

Using a kitchen stand mixer, cream the butter with the sugar until smooth & creamy. Now slowly, one by one, add in the 8 egg yolks until just incorporated. Next, add in the rice flour along with the baking powder, nutmeg, vanilla, heavy cream & the coarsely pureed corn/milk mixture. Mix well to combine all of the ingredients & then transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl, set aside until needed.

Now using a clean mixing bowl for your kitchen stand mixer (or you can use a hand held mixer), beat the egg whites along with the salt until you have fairly stiff peaks.

Then carefully add ¼ of the beaten egg white mixture to the corn mixture & mix carefully to combine. Now slowly fold in the rest of the egg whites in quarter portions until everything is just barely mixed together. It’s fine if a few streaks remain.

Next, carefully pour the batter into your buttered baking dish & smooth out the top with a spatula. Then bake the cake on the center oven rack until it is just lightly browned, about 50-55 minutes. A tooth pick inserted in to the center of the cake should come out clean. Let the cake cool for 25-30 minutes & then cut it into little squares. Serve with a little dusting of powdered sugar, some fresh berries & a nice dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (or gelato or sorbet if you prefer).


VARIATIONS:

To make a savory version of this dish, simply omit the sugar/vanilla extract & substitute the following ingredients along with the egg yolks instead:

1” piece of ginger, peeled & finely grated
3-4 small green Thai chilies, finely minced
2 tbsp freshly chopped cilantro leaves
½ tsp fresh chopped rosemary leaves – optional
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
salt & pepper, to taste

Of course, you can also omit serving the savory cake with powdered sugar, fresh berries & ice cream.