Fresh in season corn straight from the farmers market is so deliciously sweet, it only makes sense to use it in sweet applications. But I know it can sound a little strange. The first time I served this, my dinners said it’s a “what kind of cake? Oh, okay…” When they tasted it (and loved it) they all said they wouldn’t have known it was corn if I hadn’t told them, but that it had a really lovely, subtle flavor they couldn’t quite identify. I love that. Unique, delicious, slightly mysterious. So the next time I made it, I wanted to amp up the corniness (sorry), so I used the leftover corn buttermilk mixture to make a whipped cream and lightly candied some corn kernels, and optional but really interesting touch. I just think this rich and tender pound cake sings of summer. I tried various forms of glaze and icing, but really settled on the buttery glaze of a traditional Kentucky butter cake, because I love the idea of a corn cake with doused in hot butter, and man was I on the nose.
I really recommend whole buttermilk for rather than the low-fat version because it makes such a rich and tender crumb, while the half and half keeps it from curdling when heated. And if you can use a higher-fat content European style butter, all the better. This cold oven method is my favorite way to cook a dense pound cake like this – it is not a misprint! You’ll get a nicely browned but still soft exterior and a fully cooked, soft interior without risk of overbrowning. Or undercooking. Make the glaze right when you take the cake out of the oven and spoon it over slowly so each addition gets a chance to soak in rather than it all just sliding off in a puddle.
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