One Bowl Lemon Blueberry Cornmeal Cake

Name: One Bowl Lemon Blueberry Cornmeal Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 lemon zest; 3/4 cup castor sugar; 3 eggs; 1/3 cup olive oil; 1 cup yogurt; 1 cup cornmeal (fine); 1 cup all purpose flour; 1 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 1/2 cup blueberries; 1/4 cup butter; 1 1/2 cup icing sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 tbsp lemon juice; Lemon zest; Honey; Sea salt flakes

Fluffy and soft lemon cornmeal cake studded with blueberries. Topped with a simple buttercream, fresh lemon zest, drizzle of honey and salt flakes. A bright spring or summer baking dessert.

This cake does not scream my current vibes. We had the heaviest rainfall in UAE yesterday in 75 years (April 16th 2024). It was a proper thunderstorm that has damaged so many roads, homes, lives and overall infrastructure. So making this cake seemed one fitting to uplift my mood. The cake is bright, fresh, zesty, light and fluffy. Nothing like the gloomy dark clouds and torrential rain we have had.

The best part about this cake is its simplicity but the amount of flavor it has makes it seem like the cake has been slaved over for hours. You don’t need any fancy equipment or ingredients to make this dessert and it is absolutely perfect. Apart from looking like spring/summer/sunshine in cake form it tastes so good! The combination of lemon, blueberries and cornmeal is a match made in heaven. The cornmeal not only adds a yummy chewy texture to the cake but also a gleaming yellow color.

I like adding the buttercream on top with a little drizzle of honey and sprinkle seal salt, this doesn’t make it to sweet sweet but balances the dessert well. The honey is a yummy addition to the cornbread. Which makes it tastes really yummy. You can serve this with fresh cream if you like and more blueberries but it really does go well with the buttercream, honey and sea salt flakes.

What is cornmeal cake?

Cornmeal is a meal aka coarse flour that is ground from dried corn (maize). It is used to make a quick bread also known as cornbread. You can find it used in savory and sweet recipes. There are a variety of textures/fineness you can find. There is fine corneal, coarse, medium, etc. depending on the recipe you are making you can use any of the suggested varieties. Cornmeal cake is similar to corn bread but it is lighter and fluffier than the bread. It is made with fine cornmeal.

Is cornmeal the same as cornflour?

Cornmeal is not the same as cornflour. Cornflour is also known as corn starch or corn powder which is white in color and has a powder texture. They are both made form milled dried corn but are completely different ingredients.

What is lemon blueberry cornmeal cake?

Cornmeal cake that is flavored wit lemon zest and lemon juice and fresh blueberries. Most cornmeal cakes are sweetened with sugar, made fluffy with butter and yogurt. However the lemon here acts as a leavening agent as it reacts with the baking soda and makes for a light and fluffy cake. The blueberries blister and become jam like in the cake once baked.

What ingredients do you need to make this easy lemon blueberry cornmeal cake?

Cornmeal –

We need fine cornmeal to make this cake. If you have coarse cornmeal but blitz it in the food processor or blender until finer in texture.

Flour –

I have used all purpose flour to make this recipe as well. This turns it from cornbread to fluffy cake. You can use self raising flour or cake flour here.

Baking powder, baking soda & salt –

You need all three of these ingredients to make the cake fluffy, light and tender. The baking powder and baking soda reacts with the lemon to make a very tender cake. Also the salt is essential to season the cornmeal, without it you wont get the full taste of the corn in the cake.

Lemon –

We need the lemon zest and lemon juice to make this cake. I also use it in the frosting. It must be fresh lemon zest and juice, you cannot use the bottle stuff here.

Eggs –

I have used large eggs to make this cake, we need the eggs here to make this cake light and fluffy. I have not tried this cake with eggless options so I wouldn’t recommend it.

Castor sugar –

To make the cake we need castor sugar. You can use brown sugar as well but this keep the cake a beautiful yellow color. You can use granulated sugar as well to make this cake.

Olive oil –

I love the addition of olive oil to make this cake. The flavors work so well with lemon, cornmeal and blueberries. But you can use any oil you have or even melted butter or better yet, brown butter.

Yogurt –

Full fat yogurt is important here. I would suggest if you don’t have it, sour cream will work well. The fat content here makes this cake even more tender once baked.

Blueberries –

I have used a combination of fresh and frozen blueberries but you can use either or to make this cake.

Frosting –

I used butter, icing sugar, vanilla, lemon juice to make the frosting. Which I topped with honey, lemon zest and sea salt flakes.

Can I make this lemon blueberry cornmeal cake gluten free?

To make this cake gluten free substitute the all purpose flour for gluten free flour mix. I like using Bob’s red mill or king arthur baking as well. Cornmeal is gluten free so that is fine.

What equipment do you need to make this easy lemon blueberry cornmeal cake?

To make the cake we need a mixing bowl, whisk, rubber spatula and a quarter sheet tray to bake it in the oven. To make the frosting I used my electric beater with a bowl but you can use a mixing bowl and wooden spoon as well. You will need a microplane grater to zest the lemons.

How to make this easy lemon blueberry cornmeal cake?

Preheat the oven to 180℃ and line a quarter sheet pan tray by brushing it with oil or baking spray. In a mixing bowl add the castor sugar, lemon zest and rub together to release the oil form the lemon zest. Add the eggs and whisk until frothy. Add the olive oil, yogurt and whisk again. Add the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, lemon juice and blueberries. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold together until combined and there are no dry flour pockets, pour into the tin and bake for 35-40 mins until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. While it cools down make the frosting by beating the butter until light and fluffy. You can do this with a whisk/wooden spoon/electric beater add the icing sugar, vanilla and whisk until smooth and creamy. Add the lemon juice to thin it out and spread over the cooled cake.

Can I make this lemon blueberry cornmeal cake in a skillet?

Yes you can bake this cornmeal cake in a skillet like most cornbread recipes. I would recommended under baking the cake if use a skillet as it can have residual heat for a very long time which could dry out the cake once baked and if you are serving it in the skillet itself, place it on a wire rack to speed up the cooling process.

Serving and storing this lemon blueberry cornmeal cake?

The cake must be cooled before frosting and serving. Once the cake is cooled, top it with the frosting and make a few swirls very rustically. Add a drizzle of honey round and fresh lemon zest. Sprinkle sea salt flakes and slice. Serve with tea and enjoy. This cake is better the next day as it gets only softer. But it must be stored in an air tight container in the fridge. It can be stored at room temperature for 1 day after which you have to store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. Alternatively you can store it in the freezer for 2 weeks. When ready to eat allow it to defrost before serving.

Looking for more lemon recipes?

Now that we have covered how to make this easy lemon blueberry cornmeal cake, you can have a look at the recipe video on my socials but let’s get to it.

If you try this recipe out, don’t forget to share it with me on instagram so I can see how it turned out. I’d love nothing more than to chat with you on your cooking/baking.