As far as I’m concerned, no meal is complete without dessert. So I felt it was only fitting to make my last recipe of the year a dessert recipe. This lemon cornmeal pound cake is one of my go-to desserts. The cake itself is not very sweet, so I like to serve it with whipped cream and fresh fruit. That is why it is great with brunch, lunch or dinner.

If you are in a rush (or just feeling lazy), you can skip step five and just beat the egg whites into the batter. Your cake will not be quite as light, but it will certainly still be delicious.

Making fresh whipped cream is an easy way to make a good dessert even better. Personally, I don’t like very sweet whipped cream, but you can taste the whipped cream as you go to make sure that it is as sweet as you like it. I gave a big range for the amount of sugar you can use, so start with a little at a time.

LEMON CORNMEAL POUND CAKE

1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour

1/2 cup of cornmeal

1 tsp of baking soda

1/4 tsp of salt

1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar

10 tbsp of unsalted butter, softened

3 large eggs

1 tbsp of lemon zest (about the zest of

one lemon)

2 tsp of vanilla extract

2/3 cup of buttermilk (reduced-fat or non-fat

will work)

3 tbsp of fresh lemon juice (about the juice

of one lemon)

3 large egg whites

Cooking spray

2 tbsp of all-purpose flour

Optional Toppings: whipped cream and

fresh fruit: blueberries, strawberries, blackberries,

sliced peaches, nectarines or plums

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, use a mixer on a high speed to cream the granulated sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating just until blended. Stir in the lemon zest and vanilla extract.

4. In a separate bowl (or liquid measur-ing cup to make it easier to pour), combine the buttermilk and lemon juice. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk into the sugar mixture. Beat after each addition until combined, starting and ending with the flour mixture.

5. In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites. Using a whisk or an electric mixer, beat until they become white and stiff peaks form (when you pull the whisk up, the egg whites will form a point, or a peak, that will stay). Gently fold the egg whites into the batter in two portions.

6. Coat bundt pan with cooking spray and two tablespoons of flour, to keep the cake from sticking.

7. Bake the cake for about 40-45 min-utes, or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. Cool on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes before trying to remove the cake. Then, slowly remove the cake from the pan (you may need to run a knife around the edges to help it come away from the sides). Let cool completely.

8. Serve with optional whipped cream and fruit.

WHIPPED CREAM

2 cups of heavy whipping cream, chilled

(sometimes labeled whipping cream or

heavy cream)

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 tsp to 2 tbsp of granulated sugar (to taste)

1. Whip the cream, vanilla and sugar until stiff peaks form (when you pull the whisk up, the cream forms points, or peaks, that stay), but do not over-beat.

2. If you make the whipped cream ahead of time, cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.

Contact Emily Suskin at

[email protected].