Cornmeal Pound Cake with Spiced Pear Preserves
Yields: 1 (10-inch) bundt cake
 
Cornmeal adds a nuttiness to the flavor of this classic pound cake. Make extra preserves to can and store, so you can enjoy this pairing anytime of the year.
Ingredients

  • 2 cups unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups fine-ground yellow cornmeal
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • Spiced Pear Preserves (recipe follows)
  • Garnish: grated fresh nutmeg
  • Pear Preserves
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with a mixer at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating just until combined after each addition. Spoon batter into prepared pan. (Batter will be thick.)
  4. Bake until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 35 minutes. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack. Serve with Spiced Pear Preserves. Garnish with nutmeg, if desired.
Notes
Stone-ground cornmeal has more corn taste because it is ground from the whole corn kernel. That also makes it more perishable, so store it in the freezer to keep it from becoming rancid.
Recipe by Taste of the South at https://tasteofthesouthmagazine.com/cornmeal-pound-cake-spiced-pear-preserves/