Strawberry Cornmeal Skillet Cake

I think the hardest part about this move has been finding the motivation to keep working. There are so many things that need to get done, from unpacking to organizing to getting the kids situated in their new schools. It's been downright overwhelming ya'll! Did I just say ya'll? It's contagious around here! We're New Yorkers at heart but man, this Texan hospitality works its way into you! I've honestly never been to a place where so many people are so nice. Not to say that New Yorker's aren't nice. It just takes us a bit to get warmed up. So one of the things that I'm loving about living here aside from just how nice everyone is, is HEB or is it H.E.B? I'm loving the supermarkets around here. They are HUGE. When they say that everything is bigger in Texas, they weren't kidding about the supermarkets! This is the size of 2 or three of my supermarkets in NYC. My pedometer is definitely getting a work out here.

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The other very interesting thing about shopping here is just how much Texas pride they have not just around town but in their food. Everything grown in Texas is labeled and marketed that way, and boy am I a sucker for locally grown food. So when I saw locally grown and milled cornmeal, I couldn't pass it up. This cornmeal is stone ground, but the texture is just right, Not too course and not too fine. Ground just enough that you can feel the grains in your bread without it being too gritty. Along with some sweet red jewels of strawberry this Strawberry Cornmeal Skillet Cake is just the thing to get you in the Southern state of mind!

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This cake is soft and fluffy with great corn flavor, and paired with a burst of sweet strawberries it's a great flavor pairing. I topped it off with a fresh strawberry glaze to make it a bit more decadent but that's totally optional. Though, who can say no to a glaze?

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The cake gets it's great texture from the combination of buttermilk and baking soda. This creates a nice light cake and lets you eat without the dense feeling of most other cornbreads. And the best part is that all you need is a bowl and a wooden spoon! I hope you enjoy this Strawberry Cornmeal Skillet Cake made with some Texas pride. Let me know what you think and follow me on Instagram for more on my Newbie Texan adventure!

Adapted from Half Baked Harvest

Ingredients

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup stone ground cornmeal (I used Lamb's cornmeal here in Texas, but any stone ground cornmeal will work)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5-6 large fresh strawberries,sliced

Glaze (optional):

2 cups powdered sugar
5 tablespoon strawberry puree (I just put about a cup of fresher hulled strawberries in a mini food processor and whizzed them up!)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 10-12 inch cast iron skillet or cake pan.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, brown sugar, honey, buttermilk, lemon zest and vanilla until combined about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at time, beating after each until incorporated. Add the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt and beat until combined.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Place sliced strawberries around the top of the batter.

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake.

5. To make the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar and strawberry puree together until combined.

6. Drizzle the glaze over the cake. Slice and serve slightly warm. Enjoy!