Cornmeal Cake With Black Cherry Compote Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F and butter an 8 1/2- by 4 1/2- by 3-inch loaf pan. Put a 24- by 3 1/2-inch strip of wax paper lengthwise down center of pan (to facilitate unmolding), leaving an overhang on each end.
• Whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Finely grind almonds with 1/4 cup sugar in a food processor and stir into cornmeal mixture.
• Beat butter and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until combined well. Beat in eggs 1 at a time until just blended, then beat in vanilla. (Mixture will look curdled.) Add cornmeal mixture and stir and fold until just combined.
• Transfer batter to loaf pan, smoothing top, and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes. Loosen edges with a knife, then use strips to carefully lift cake from pan onto rack.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 340 degrees F (170 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10-inch round cake pan.
• Blend cornmeal, sugar, milk, coconut milk, flour, eggs, and vegetable oil in a blender until smooth; add baking powder and blend to integrate. Pour the cornmeal mixture into the prepared cake pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9 x 5x 2 1/2-inch metal loaf pan. Dust with cornmeal; tap out excess. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into heavy medium saucepan; add bean. Add milk, butter, lemon peel and salt. Bring to simmer, stirring until butter melts. Remove from heat. Gradually whisk in 1 cup cornmeal. Transfer to medium bowl. Mix in honey and 3 tablespoons sugar. Cool to just lukewarm, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Discard vanilla bean. Whisk in yolks.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in large bowl until foamy. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons sugar over whites and beat until medium-soft peaks form. Gently fold whites into cornmeal mixture in 2 additions. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake cake until top cracks and tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack (cake will fall in center). Turn out onto plate. Using sharp serrated knife, cut cake into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Place 1 slice on each plate. Top with Black Cherry Compote.

Steps:

• Put the cherries into a wide, deep frying pan, add 150ml water, then bring to the boil. Cook for 15 mins, stirring now and again until the fruit is starting to soften. Tip in the sugar, stir until it dissolves, add the lemon juice and brandy, then bring back to the boil.
• Cook for 15 mins until the fruit has collapsed a little and the sauce is syrupy, smooth and dark purple. Spoon a little of the juice onto a saucer and leave to cool for 30 secs. Push it with your finger; it's ready if the syrup wrinkles. Ladle into sterilised jars (see tip, below) and seal.