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.
Ingredients
- For the Cake
2 ears of corn
1 cup whole buttermilk
2/3 cup half and half
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 2/3 cup granulated sugar
6 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
- For the Glaze
1/2 cups (1 stick) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
- For the Candied Corn Kernels
Kernels from one ear of corn
3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
Small pinch of salt
½ cup water
- Sweet Corn Whipped Cream
leftover corn buttermilk mixture (about 1/4 cup)
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Directions
- For the Cake
- Cut the kernels from both cobs of corn and place in a medium saucepan. Snap the cobs in half and add to the pan. Pour over the buttermilk and half and half and stir. Bring to a low boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. You want the liquid heated through, but never at a full rolling boil. Remove the pan from the heat and cover it with a tea towel. Leave to infuse for 1 ½ to 2 hours. Lift the corn cobs from the pot, scraping off any kernels and discard. Transfer corn and buttermilk mixture to a blender and purée until smooth. Scrape the puree through a wire mesh sieve into a small bowl and set aside.
- Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray, such as Bakers’ Joy.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. This will take some time – five minutes or more. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping the bowl after each addition. Measure out 1 ¼ cup of the corn buttermilk mixture. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt in three additions, alternating with the corn milk and scraping the bowl. When the batter is smooth and well combined, beat on high for 5 seconds, the scrape the batter into the prepared Bundt pan, spreading it out in an even layer. Bang the pan on the counter a couple of times to even out the batter and remove any air bubbles. Put the cake in the oven and turn the temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Cover the bowl with the leftover corn- buttermilk mixture with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to whip with the cream and serve. Overnight is fine. - For the Glaze
- Cut the butter into small pieces and put in a small pan with the sugar and water. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved and no longer granular. Poke holes all over the surface of the cake with a skewer or toothpick, then spoon about a quarter of the butter glaze evenly over the top. Let the glaze soak in for 5 minutes, then invert the cake out onto the rack. Poke holes all over the cake again, then spoon over the next quarter of the glaze and leave to soak in for 5 minutes. Spoon over the next bit of glaze, and brush some over the sides of the cake with a pastry brush. Leave to ask for 5 more minutes, then spoon and brush the last of the glaze all over the cake. Leave to cool completely.
- For the Corn Kernels
- Put the corn kernels, brown sugar salt and water in a small saucepan and stir. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then cook until the water has reduced completely and the kernels are sticky. Spread the kernels out on a piece of parchment paper on the counter, separating them as best you can – a fork can be useful – and leave to cooll. They don’t dry or harden, just remain gooey and sweet. Spoon the sticky kernels over slices of cake.
- Sweet Corn Whipped Cream
- Add the cream and sugar to the leftover corn and buttermilk mixture in the bowl and beat with an electric mixer until you reach stiff peaks. Dollop over slices of cake,
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