Food Recipes Desserts Cake Cast-Iron Cornmeal Cake with Buttermilk Cream 3.0 (2) 2 Reviews Pouring the batter into a hot skillet ensures a perfectly cooked, dark golden–bottomed crust with a fluffy, golden interior. To check for doneness, rely on the visual cues for browning—a cake tester will come out clean before the cake is cooked through. By Lisa Donovan Lisa Donovan Lisa Donovan is a James Beard Award-winning writer and chef who has redefined what it means to be a Southern baker as the pastry chef to some of the South's most influential chefs.Expertise: baking, pastry, foodways, social justice.Experience: Lisa Donovan has been formative in developing, writing, and establishing a technique-driven, historically rich narrative of traditional Southern pastry in restaurants across the country and in print. She is a regular contributor to Food & Wine and has been a featured speaker at René Redzepi's globally renowned MAD Symposium, discussing the culture and responsibilities of restaurants. Lisa centers her work on advocacy and education. Her recipes and writing have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Eater, Literary Hub, and Saveur. She is the author of Our Lady of Perpetual Hunger, which earned her a Les Dames d'Escoffier International M.F.K. Fisher Prize in 2021. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 26, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Victor Protasio Active Time: 15 mins Total Time: 1 hr Yield: 8 to 10 Ingredients 3 large eggs 1 1/2 cups whole buttermilk (such as Cruze Farm) 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 2 tablespoons cane syrup (such as Poirier’s) or molasses 1 1/2 cups coarse yellow cornmeal (about 5 3/4 ounces) (such as Anson Mills Antebellum Coarse Yellow Cornmeal) 3/4 cup cake flour (about 3 ounces) (such as Anson Mills Artisan Fine Cloth-Bolted White Lammas Cake Flour) 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 cup unsalted butter Buttermilk Cream Directions Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in oven; preheat oven to 425°F. Let skillet preheat in oven 15 minutes. Whisk together eggs and buttermilk in a large bowl until frothy, about 1 minute. Whisk in brown sugar and cane syrup. Set buttermilk mixture aside. Whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Add cornmeal mixture to buttermilk mixture; stir using a wooden spoon until combined. Carefully remove preheated skillet from oven. Add butter to skillet; swirl skillet to melt butter, evenly coating bottom and sides of skillet. Pour melted butter into cornmeal batter in bowl; quickly stir to incorporate. Pour batter into greased hot skillet; immediately transfer to preheated oven. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F; bake cake until top is evenly browned and sides are dark golden and pull away from skillet, 30 to 35 minutes. Immediately invert cake onto a wire rack. Let cool 15 minutes. Serve warm with Buttermilk Cream. Make Ahead Cake can be made 1 day ahead and stored at room temperature covered tightly with plastic wrap. Originally appeared: February 2020 Rate It Print