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Concord Grape Cornmeal Cake

Concord grape cornmeal cake in a square baking dish with two slices on the side on a cooling rack.
Concord Grape Cornmeal Cake Romulo Yanes

Serve at brunch, or for dessert with a scoop of lemon gelato.

Ingredients

Makes 8 to 10 servings

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly, plus more
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; more for grapes
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 tablespoons buttermilk
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 pound Concord or black grapes, stemmed, seeds removed, divided
  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 8x8x2" baking dish. Whisk 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla in a large bowl to combine. Add oil and 2 tablespoons melted butter; whisk to blend. Whisk in flour mixture, then buttermilk. Stir in honey, being careful not to fully incorporate.

    Step 2

    Pour batter into prepared dish. Toss half of grapes with a large pinch of flour in a medium bowl until well coated. Scatter over cake batter.

    Step 3

    Bake until cake turns light golden brown around the edges and starts to set, 15-17 minutes. Remove from oven and scatter remaining grapes over cake. Continue to bake until top is golden brown and cake springs back when pressed, 20-25 minutes longer. Transfer to a wire rack. Let cool slightly in pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition Per Serving

Per serving: 550 calories
10 g fat
6 g fiber
#### Nutritional analysis provided by Bon Appétit
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  • All my grapes stayed on top instead of in the cake. Next time I will mix them in the batter? I was also confused with the instruction "...being careful not to fully incorporate". Is that only for the honey? Also I made this dairy-free by using margarine, and made my own buttermilk using the pulp around the seeds (I seeded the grapes by pinching them - so fast and fun!) and mixing it with oat milk and a bit of lemon juice. SO GOOD!

    • Mir D.-O.

    • Ontario Canada

    • 9/6/2022

  • Absolutely delicious! Have to say I was a bit sceptical about this recipe. But made it - it came out really well. And although not sweet sweet, it is so yummy. And easy to make. This will be a favourite when the grapes on our vine ripen each year. Thank you Epicurious!

    • Modie

    • New Zealand

    • 3/17/2022

  • I have made this cake 3 times before and now as I am about to make it again I feel it deserves a positive review. This cake is only lightly sweet, the honey swirl adds something really special and the texture is amazing. It seems to get better after sitting for a few days as flavors meld and it moistens up a bit. I actually never seed the grapes because I am too lazy to bother with it, but now i actually prefer the crunch the seeds give. After baking they turn almost nutty. I would give 5 stars if I could.

    • alpal2021

    • Chicago

    • 2/2/2017

  • 这个蛋糕真的很好吃。我发现这张照片ttle deceptive--it looks to me like the grapes in this picture are whole. I had to cut all of the grapes in half to seed them. This is a pain in the neck, incidentally, and I was worried the halved grapes would mess up the batter--they didn't. I'm not sure what the value is of sprinkling a bunch of grapes over the top. Another reference to the picture with the recipe--my grapes added half way through didn't sink into the cake but rather stayed on top. I think I would have enjoyed them more if incorporated into the cake. I didn't have any honey on hand so used agave syrup. This seemed like a reasonable substitution though honey is probably preferable.

    • margielynch

    • Outside of Boston, MA

    • 9/24/2015

  • Awesome seasonal recipe! Easy to make, quick to bake, a great use of a Fall item. Delicious!

    • cookiesheet

    • Painesville, OH

    • 9/13/2015

  • Excellent! Moist yet firm, not-too-sweet cake that works well for dessert or as a breakfast pastry. Make sure to seed the grapes, as I forgot to do so and it made for an interesting eating experience.

    • tastysausagerecipe

    • Brooklyn, NY

    • 9/29/2013

  • As a lover of corn meal this recipe ranks high. So many "cornmeal" cakes incorporate so little cornmeal but not this one. The grapes work well with this but I'm about to remake this dish with ripe plums and I'm thinking many fruits (peaches, pears, etc.) would pair well with the cornmeal, buttermilk and honey.

    • fmschiav

    • Harpers Ferry, WV

    • 11/24/2012

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