Embark on a culinary journey to discover the tantalizing flavors of Italian corn cakes, a delectable treat that captures the essence of Italy's rich culinary heritage. These golden-brown cakes, known as "Torta di Mais" or "Pan di Granoturco," are a testament to the simplicity and beauty of Italian cuisine, showcasing the versatility of cornmeal and a symphony of herbs and spices. With their crispy exterior and moist, tender interior, these corn cakes offer a delightful balance of textures and flavors that will transport you to the heart of Italy's culinary traditions. Prepare to be captivated by the charm of Italian corn cakes, a culinary delight that celebrates the bounty of the Italian countryside and the passion for creating memorable meals.
Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!
PARMESAN-BASIL CORN CAKES
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories side-dish
Time 20m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Cut the kernels off the corn. Pulse half the corn with the egg in a food processor; transfer to a medium bowl. Mix in the remaining corn, the flour, parmesan, basil, cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon salt and some pepper. Coat a large skillet with oil and heat over medium heat. Cook spoonfuls until golden, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
GRILLED CORN AND CHEESE CAKES
Provided by Giada De Laurentiis
Time 49m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- In a food processor, pulse the corn into a chunky puree. Place in a medium bowl. Add the cheese, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, chives, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Stir until combined. Form the mixture into 9 balls and then flatten into patties, each about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 3/4-inch thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Coat the patties in the remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and drizzle with olive oil. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Brush the patties with olive oil and grill until toasted, 4 to 5 minutes each side.
- Arrange the corn cakes on a platter and top with a dollop of creme fraiche.
ITALIAN RUM CAKE
Italian Rum Cake is a delicious 3 or 4 layer cake, which is a tradition for birthdays/special occasions in many Italian families. There are 3 basic parts to the cake; sponge cake layers, pasticciera cream (filling) and (stabilized) whipped cream. Below are the recipes for all three parts. If you make it with 3 layers, omit the whipped cream layer. The sponge cake and pasticciera creams may be made a day ahead. The whipped cream should be whipped just before assembling the cake. Prep/Cook times do not include the 3-4 hour chilling time for the pasticciera cream. PLEASE NOTE: This is an egg leavened cake! The egg yolks and whites MUST be beaten to the correct volume and consistency or the recipe will not work. Also, the other ingredients must be folded in (beaten WHITES folded INTO the YOLK/sugar mixture NOT the other way around) in the order given in the directions or the cake will not turn out. The finished layers will be thin depending on the size of your pan. The smaller the pan, the thicker the layers and the longer the baking time needed. If you are expecting this cake to turn out like a "Génoise or American sponge cake," you will be disappointed as this is not a Génoise sponge recipe.
Provided by Dee514
Categories Dessert
Time 2h
Yield 1 Cake, 12 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 30
Steps:
- Italian Sponge Cake (Pan di Spagna):.
- Place egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until very thick and lemon colored (mixture should be at least doubled in volume, and thick like frosting - it can take up to 15 minutes (or longer with a hand mixer) of beating to reach the proper volume/texture) .
- Add flour, a little at a time, gently folding it in until well blended.
- Gently fold in vanilla and lemon rind (if using it).
- Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold into cake mixture.
- Butter and flour an 18-inch square (or a 9 x 13 x 3, or a 11 x 17 x 2-inch half-sheet) cake pan, (make sure pan size will fit your oven; you could also use three 8 or 9-inch layer pans).
- Pour cake batter into prepared pan(s) and bake at 375°F for 15 to 35 minutes (depending on your oven and the volume of your pans.), or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Remove cake from oven and turn out (of pan) onto a cake rack to cool completely.
- Cake can be tightly wrapped and refrigerated overnight, or frozen (up to 3 weeks) for future use.
- Italian Pastry Cream (Pasticciera Cream): Place sugar, egg yolks, flour, lemon rind (if using it), and vanilla in a sauce pan and mix together well.
- In a separate sauce pan, scald milk.
- Very slowly pour milk over egg yolk mixture, in a thin stream, beating constantly with rotary beater.
- Continue cooking on low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until mixture reaches the boiling point.
- Cook 4 minutes longer, stirring constantly.
- Remove pan from heat, add butter and mix well.
- Pour into bowl and let cool, stir occasionally to prevent skin from forming over the top.
- If using as a filling, chill (with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming) until very thick (about 3-4 hours).
- Chocolate Pasticciera Cream: Place sugar, egg yolks flour, and vanilla in a sauce pan and mix together well.
- In a separate sauce pan, scald milk.
- Very slowly pour milk over egg yolk mixture, in a thin stream, beating constantly with rotary beater.
- Continue cooking on low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until mixture reaches the boiling point.
- Cook 4 minutes longer, stirring constantly.
- Add chocolate and while stirring, cook 1 minute longer.
- Remove pan from heat, add butter and mix well.
- Pour into bowl and let cool, stir occasionally to prevent skin from forming over the top.
- If using as a filling, chill (with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming) until very thick (about 3-4 hours).
- Rum Syrup*: Mix together the water, sugar, and rum in a small pot.
- Bring to a boil, and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and cool before using.
- *NOTE:If you prefer not to use rum syrup, you may sprinkle/brush cake layers with 1/3 cup rum which has been diluted with 1/4 cup water.
- Stabilized Whipped Cream - Corn Syrup Method: In a large chilled bowl, with chilled beaters, beat cold cream until it just starts to thicken.
- Add corn syrup and vanilla from the side of the bowl, and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Stabilized Whipped Cream - Gelatin Method: Prepare gelatin- Soak plain gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes.
- Dissolve by placing it in a container over a small pot of simmering water, stir until dissolved.
- Set aside to cool before using.
- In a large well-chilled bowl, with well chilled beaters, beat cream with electric mixer.
- Just before it becomes soft and billowy, slowly add the sugar and vanilla to the whipped cream at the sides of the bowl, continue to whip as you do.
- Whip the cream until barely stiff.
- Add melted and cooled gelatin all at once to cream during whipping.
- Stop whipping when cream forms soft peaks.
- Finish beating with whisk to adjust consistency to stiff peaks.
- Use/serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until needed.
- If peaks have softened during refrigeration, rewhip by hand using a whisk.
- Rum Cake Assembly Instructions: Slice sponge cake in half to form two 9 x 18-inch layers Using a long, thin bladed knife, cut/split each layer in half lengthwise making four thin 9 x 18-inch layers.
- Place bottom sponge layer on platter cut side up, sprinkle/brush with about 1/4 of the rum, be careful not to get the cake too wet, or layers will become soggy.
- Allow sprinkled/brushed rum to soak into the cake for about 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle/brush remaining sponge layers (on the cut side) evenly with remaining rum.
- Spread a layer of vanilla pasticciera cream on the first sponge layer.
- Top the vanilla cream layer with another layer of rum sprinkled sponge cake.
- Spread a layer of stabilized whipped cream on the second sponge layer.
- Top the whipped cream layer with another layer of rum sprinkled sponge cake.
- Spread a layer of chocolate pasticciera cream on the third sponge layer.
- Top the chocolate layer with the last layer of sponge cake.
- Frost the top sponge cake layer (and sides of cake, optional) with remaining stabilized whipped cream.
- Cover and refrigerate 1 hour before serving.
- Refrigerate any leftovers.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 657.9, Fat 40.3, SaturatedFat 23.9, Cholesterol 274.1, Sodium 115, Carbohydrate 64, Fiber 1.1, Sugar 45.5, Protein 10.3
LEMON CORNMEAL CAKE
Extra-virgin olive oil, eggs, and milk make this Italian-inspired lemon cornmeal cake extra-moist. And it's gluten-free, to boot. Martha made this recipe on "Martha Bakes" episode 810.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cake Recipes
Time 3h15m
Yield Makes one 9-inch cake
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine milk and lemon juice in a bowl; let stand until thickened, about 5 minutes. Pulse almonds, cane sugar, and zest in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; stir in cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add oil, eggs, and almond extract to milk mixture, and whisk until combined. Stir into cornmeal mixture.
- Brush a 9-inch springform pan with oil. Pour batter into pan. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until cake is golden and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Unmold and dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving. (Cake can be kept, covered, at room temperature up to 2 days.)
Nutrition Facts : Calories 536 g, Cholesterol 80 g, Fat 37 g, Fiber 6 g, Protein 9 g, SaturatedFat 5 g, Sodium 108 g
CORNMEAL CAKE
I have been using this recipe for many years and is the best I came across so far. Very easy to make, very moist and taste fantastic. Cornemeal cake is very common in Brazil , where I come from and goes very nice with a cup of fresh brewed coffee or even a nice cup of tea.
Provided by Malu8033
Categories Lunch/Snacks
Time 45m
Yield 1 cake, 10 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Pre-heat the oven at 200°C.
- Lightly oil (or butter) a non-stick 30 cm cake pan.
- Mix the eggs yolk with sugar and oil.
- Boil the milk and pour on the cornmeal, on a separated bowl,mixing well.
- Mix this to the eggs mixture.
- Sift the flour with the baking powder and add to the mixture.
- On a clean bowl whisk the eggs white and fold into the mixture.
- Pour this to the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until the tester come out clean.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 385.7, Fat 14.3, SaturatedFat 2.1, Cholesterol 77.8, Sodium 154.2, Carbohydrate 60.5, Fiber 1.2, Sugar 40.1, Protein 5.6
Tips:
- Use fresh, sweet corn for the best flavor.
- If you don't have fresh corn, you can use frozen or canned corn. Just be sure to drain the corn well before using it.
- Add some grated Parmesan cheese or crumbled feta cheese to the batter for extra flavor.
- Serve the corn cakes with your favorite toppings, such as butter, sour cream, or salsa.
- Leftover corn cakes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Conclusion:
Italian corn cakes are a delicious and easy-to-make side dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. They are perfect for a summer cookout or a weeknight dinner. With their simple ingredients and customizable flavor, Italian corn cakes are a surefire hit. So next time you're looking for a tasty and satisfying dish, give these corn cakes a try. You won't be disappointed!
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