Sweet corn cake is a Brazilian bundt cake made with sweet corn (canned or fresh), cornmeal, and coconut in the kitchen blender. It's the perfect gluten-free dessert for June Festivals or to serve as an afternoon coffee cake just like our coconut cornmeal cake and Brazilian corn magic custard cake.
How to make sweet corn cake
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Grease very well a 10-inch (25 cm) ring pan and set it aside. NOTE: Grease the entire pan well. Do NOT miss one single corner!
- In a blender, blend together all ingredients until obtaining a creamy and homogeneous mixture. You may need to stop the blender once or twice to stir in the mixture, making it easier to blend together the ingredients.
- Pour mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes (mine baked in 35 minutes) or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the sweet corn cake cool down completely on a rack (it will break apart if unmolded while still warm) and run a knife gently around the edges.
- Place an inverted plate on top and invert the sweet corn cake to unmold. This coffee cake is mildly sweet and can be served either for breakfast or as a snack -- warm with butter, at room temperature accompanied by a cup of coffee, or chilled and drizzled with sweetened condensed milk.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sweet corn – If using canned corn, drain the water very well and wash the grains before adding them to the blender. But if you prefer, use fresh corn kernels.
- Coconut milk – Use canned coconut milk which has a thick and creamy consistency. But if you don't like coconut, then replace it with whole milk.
- Eggs – Use large eggs, at room temperature.
- Unsalted Butter – Don't use margarine! Butter contains fatter and is essential to keep the cake from drying out.
- Granulated sugar
- Medium-grind cornmeal – This type of cornmeal is perfect for baking because it produces moist cakes! Please do NOT use coarse cornmeal which absorbs more water and is ideal for polenta.
- Shredded coconut – I used the unsweetened type but you can use sweetened coconut flakes.
- Grated Parmesan cheese – It is salty and balances the sweetness of the other ingredients. It is commonly added to some Brazilian and Portuguese desserts and baking goods.
- Salt
- Baking Powder – It will help the sweet corn cake to rise in the oven and become fluffy.
Brazilian June Festivals
Also known as Festas Juninas, the June Festivals are popular Brazilian festivities that take place in June.
As celebrants thank Saint John for the rain and the abundant corn harvest, an 'arraial' or huge event space is set up.
It is brightly decorated with strings of colorful flags and paper balloons, and filled with tents or rough stalls.
The festivities are lit up by sky lanterns, showers of fireworks, and bonfires.
People dress up in typical country bumpkin outfits, with straw hats, painted-on freckles, and gap-teeth, and women often sport checkered gingham dresses and pigtail braids.
There is live music, as well as quadrille folk dances that are organized around a mock bride and groom …
… And then, of course, there is the food — an attraction all its own!
The most typical items are usually made from corn, rice, peanuts, or coconut like these:
- Boiled or Grilled Corn on the Cob
- Mungunzá doce (Brazilian creamed corn),
- Canjica nordestina or curau (sweet corn pudding)
- Pamonha (Brazilian tamales)
- Cuscuz de milho (Brazilian cornmeal couscous)
- Sweet popcorn,
- Corn bundt cakes
- Arroz doce or rice pudding)
- Cocada (Brazilian coconut bars)
- Pé de moleque (Brazilian peanut brittle)
The most popular drink is quentão (Brazilian mulled wine)!
How to serve Brazilian corn cake
This blender cake is mildly sweet and can be served as an afternoon snack as follows:
- Warm with butter on top;
- At room temperature, accompanied by a cup of coffee;
- Chilled and drizzled with sweetened condensed milk on top.
Storage
- Store this sweet corn cake well covered (so it doesn't dry out) for up to 3 days at room temperature or in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze for up to 2 months. To do this, let it cool and wrap it first with parchment paper and then with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
Other corn recipes
- Brazilian Corn Chowder
- Creamy Corn Gratin
- Italian Corn Bread
- Brazilian tamale casserole
- Portuguese Corn Bread
PIN & ENJOY!
Sweet Corn Cake
Equipment
- 1 bundt pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow corn kernels fresh or canned. If using canned corn, drain before measuring (about 200 grams)
- 1 cup coconut milk
- ¼ cup water
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 9 tablespoon unsalted butter melted (plus more to grease the pan)
- 1⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups medium grind yellow cornmeal Please do NOT use coarse cornmeal for polenta
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes if you prefer, use the sweetened one
- 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Grease very well a 10-inch (25 cm) ring pan and set it aside. NOTE: Grease the entire pan well. Do NOT miss one single corner!
- In a blender, blend together all ingredients until obtaining a creamy and homogeneous mixture. You may need to stop the blender once or twice to stir in the mixture, making it easier to blend together the ingredients.
- Pour mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes (mine baked in 35 minutes) or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the sweet corn cake cool down completely on a rack (it will break apart if unmolded while still warm) and run a knife gently around the edges.
- Place an inverted plate on top and invert the sweet corn cake to unmold. This coffee cake is mildly sweet and can be served either for breakfast or as a snack -- warm with butter, at room temperature accompanied by a cup of coffee, or chilled and drizzled with sweetened condensed milk.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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This post was first published on June 9th, 2014.
Receitas Toda Hora says
I loved corn recipes are common here in Brazil and all are very good.