(2017) Skillet Lemonade Cornmeal Cake

heirloom cornmeal and grits

Recipe Author: Conne Ward Cameron

Please don’t ask me why I have this in my files (because I have no idea), but it’s a recipe from Chick-fil-A. Guess they were encouraging us to cook with their lemonade? I love skillet cornmeal cakes – something about that crisp crust and the texture of the cornmeal ….

You could make this with apple juice, orange juice or whatever you have on hand. Although the lemon is pretty tasty.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup cornmeal 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 2 large eggs 1/2 cup 2-percent vanilla Greek yogurt 1/2 cup lemonade 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided Lemon Syrup: 1/2 cup lemonade Optional Lemon Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place a large cast iron skillet into the oven to heat.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Stir to mix. 

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt and lemonade. Add the sugar and whisk until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two batches. 

Add 2 tablespoons butter to the hot iron skillet. Melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter and stir into the batter until smooth and uniform. 

Remove the hot iron skillet from the oven and pour in the batter. Bake for 35-40 minutes until browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake. 

To make the syrup while the cake is baking, place the 1/2 cup lemonade in a small saucepan. Reduce over medium heat to 1/4 cup. Remove from heat and set aside. 

While the cake is still warm, pour on the lemon syrup around the edges of the cake and in the center. You may have some syrup leftover. Allow the cake to cool.