Sweet Corn Cake (like Chi-Chi's)
Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/3 cup masa harina*
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbs. heavy cream
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Blend the butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the masa harina and water to the butter and beat until well combined.
Put the defrosted corn into a blender or food processor and, with short pulses, coarsely chop the corn on low speed. You want to leave several whole kernels of corn. Stir the chopped corn into the butter and masa harina mixture. Add the cornmeal to the mixture. Combine.
In another medium bowl, mix together the sugar, cream, salt, and baking powder. When the ingredients are well blended, pour the mixture into the other bowl and stir everything together by hand.
Pour the corn batter into an ungreased 8 × 8-inch baking pan. Smooth the surface of the batter with a spatula. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Place this pan into a 13 × 9-inch pan filled one-third of the way up with hot water.** Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the corn cake is cooked through.
When the corn cake is done, remove the small pan from the larger pan and let it sit for at least 10 minutes. To serve, scoop out each portion with an ice cream scoop or rounded spoon.
*A Mexican corn flour used to make tortillas. It can be hard to find in ordinary supermarkets, but check anyway near the flour or with the Mexican food. It is usually found in Latin American groceries, more "upscale" markets that stock gourmet items, and in some health/organic food stores.
**The recipe incorporates a 'bain marie,' or water bath – a technique of baking used commonly for custards and mousses to keep them from cracking or curdling. This is done by simply placing the covered baking pan of batter into another larger pan filled with a little hot water before baking.
Contributor: Dave