Cornmeal Shortcake with Balsamic Berries and Sweet Cream
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When Berries Meet Something Better 😉
This is the kind of dessert that feels both familiar and new. 💛 The cornmeal adds a gentle texture and warmth, grounding the soft, buttery cake in something a little more soulful. Then come the berries—juicy, lightly sweetened, and lifted with just a touch of balsamic for depth 🍓 Finished with a soft, tangy cream, it’s balanced, layered, and quietly unforgettable. ✨
Cornmeal Shortcake with Balsamic Berries and Sweet Cream
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
6 ounces (11⁄2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for preparing the pan
11⁄2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for preparing the pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2⁄3 cup yellow cornmeal
1⁄2 cup fine semolina
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
2⁄3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1⁄2 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
3 pints mixed berries (such as boysenberries, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries)
1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ cup Greek yogurt, sour cream, or creme fraiche
1 tbsp honey
1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
To make the cake, preheat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 by 3-inch loaf pan with butter. Coat the bottom and sides with flour and shake out the excess. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda into a medium bowl. Whisk in the cornmeal, semolina, and salt until well blended.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the 2/3 cup sugar gradually, beating constantly until the mixture is pale and light and scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the extract. On low speed, add half of the dry ingredients and beat just until blended. Add the buttermilk and beat just until blended, then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat just until blended. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
Bake until the cake is firm to the touch and beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 45 to 50 minutes. A cake tester inserted in the middle should come out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then invert onto a rack. Invert again so the top is up and finish cooling on the rack.
In a bowl, combine the berries, 1⁄4 cup of the sugar, and the brandy. Stir gently with a rubber spatula. Let macerate at room temperature for 1 hour to dissolve the sugar and draw out the fruit juices, stirring occasionally. In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, honey and vanilla paste.
Remove the cake from the pan and slice into equal servings with a serrated knife. Transfer the slices to individual dessert plates. Spoon some of the macerated berries and their juices over the cake. Top each serving with a dollop of the sweet cream. Serve immediately.
Equipment List:
oven
loaf pan
cake tester
cooking rack
rubber spatula
serrated knife
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