Sweet Cornbread
My childhood dessert! Baked by Granny in the brot (the small oven of the stove in the summer kitchen), which sometimes gave her trouble because it didn’t bake evenly and would burn the cornbread in places. Even still, it remains a favorite that always makes me think of her.
A good cornbread depends on the quality of the ingredients and the precision with which they are measured. The utensils are important too, as well as an oven with a constant temperature – although partly burnt cornbread isn’t the worst thing in the world!
You can serve the sweet cornbread with powdered sugar or, as we used to, with raspberry jam. It is just delicious!
Sweet Cornbread
Sweet cornbread, just like Granny used to make—with fresh milk, farm eggs, and golden cornmeal ground on Saturdays at the village mill. It was fluffy, moist, and delicately scented with vanilla, with a slightly coarse yet tender texture that made every bite unforgettable.
Ingredients
- 3 whole eggs
- 125 g white sugar
- vanilla essence
- zest of one lemon/orange
- ½ tsp salt
- 150 ml sunflower oil
- 160 g cornmeal
- 125 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 300 g full-fat yogurt
- jam or powdered sugar for serving, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F).
- Grease and line a baking tray or cake pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together using an electric mixer for 3-5 minutes, until the mixture doubles in volume, turns pale, and becomes aerated.
- Mix in the vanilla essence and lemon/orange zest.
- Slowly add the sunflower oil in a steady stream while mixing on low speed until fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add the cornmeal and sifted flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on medium speed after each addition.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and gently mix in the full-fat yogurt, ensuring everything is fully incorporated but not overmixed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking tray, leveling the surface with a spatula.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- If the cake browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Let the cake cool completely before slicing with a sharp knife.
- Serve plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or with a spoonful of jam.
Notes
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
