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Lemony Blueberry Cornmeal Cake

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Makes 8 to 10 servings 1x

Time 30 to 45 minutes

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted, plus softened butter for the pan
  • 1 1/4 cups all- purpose flour (or cake flour for a finer crumb)
  • 3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
  • 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen (don’t bother to thaw) blueberries, picked over for stems

Instructions

  1. If using a gas grill, heat it for medium-high direct cooking. The grill temperature should be 500° to 600°F; it could mean all the burners are on medium or medium-low, depending on your particular grill. If using a charcoal grill, after taking dinner off, add more coals if necessary and close the lid until you’re ready to bake. Generously coat the inside of a 9- or 10- inch cast- iron skillet with softened butter.
  2. Whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, soda, and salt together in a bowl. Whisk the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest and juice together in a large bowl until thick. Add the melted butter. Fold the dry mixture into the wet, without fully incorporating; there should still be some lumps of flour. Add the buttermilk and stir until the mixture is combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the blueberries evenly over the top.
  3. Put the skillet on the grill directly over the fire. Close the lid and start checking after 10 minutes. If the cake seems to be browning too fast, turn the heat off under the pan and turn it up on the other burners for a gas grill, or move the pan to a cooler part of the charcoal grill. Bake until the cake pulls away from the side of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, 5 to 20 minutes more, depending on how hot the fire is.
  4. Carefully transfer the pan to a rack and let cool until you can comfortably touch the pan. Run a knife around the edges of the cake. Put a serving plate on top of the pan and carefully invert it onto the plate. Or cut and serve the cake directly from the pan. This will keep, out of the pan and covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to few days, if it lasts that long.

—Recipe from How to Grill Everything

Recipe variations

Lemony Cornmeal Cake with Fresh Herbs Simple and satisfying. Thyme, rosemary, and lavender are all wonderful: Add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs of your choice to the wet ingredients with the zest.

Cranberry Cornmeal Cake with Ricotta The creaminess helps balance the tart cranberries: Substitute orange juice and zest for the lemon, ricotta cheese for the buttermilk, and fresh or frozen cranberries for the blueberries.

Almond-Cherry Cornmeal Cake Omit the lemon juice and zest. Substitute almond extract for 1/2 teaspoon of the vanilla and chopped pitted sweet cherries for the blueberries.