I thought this recipe looked interesting. Corn cake? Surely that is only an ingredient for spicy bread! So I thought I’d try it out.
Recipe from recipe-ideas.co.uk.
The Recipe
1 can (17 ounces) cream-style corn
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp baking powder
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts caramel frosting:
4 tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar (or mo, re)
Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine corn and sugars. Add eggs and oil; beat
until well blended. Combine dry ingredients; add to batter and mix
well. Stir in raisins and nuts. Pour into a greased 1 3-in. x 9-in. x
2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350! for 30-35 minutes or until cake tests
done. Cool thoroughly. For frosting, bring butter and brown sugar to
a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat. Stir in milk. Stir in
confectioners’ sugar until frosting is desired consistency. Frost
cooled cake. Yield: 12-15 servings. From the files of Al Rice, North
Pole Alaska. Feb 1994
My Alterations
I actually managed to find creamed corn in my grocery store; I swear that at Thanksgiving time last year, it could not be found anywhere! Perhaps there are more Americans living around here than I thought. I was pleased to find it; this meant I didn’t have to make creamed corn myself just for a cake. Whew!
I didn’t have a pack of raisins on their own, so I used “mixed dried fruit.” This is a combination of raisins, sultanas, and candied orange peel. Possibly something else, but I’m not getting up to look right now.
I made the frosting as stated in the recipe. I was feeling adventurous, what can I say.
The Result
I had forgotten how gross creamed corn looks and smells. When I dumped that can into the bowl, I was really, really tempted to forget this recipe entirely and try something different. Ugh.
I stuck it out, though, and the final batter didn’t taste half bad. The sugars and spices cut down on the gooey corn taste and texture, so that was a relief.
The frosting got really hard when cool, which makes a change from the runny glazes that I normally end up making! It is overpoweringly sweet, but it had a very strong caramel taste to it. The recipe makes far too much icing (as usual) and I only ended up using half of what I made.
The Verdict
Thankfully, this cake doesn’t taste bad at all. Like I said, I was really concerned about the outcome when I opened that can of creamed corn, but the final product was good. I can’t eat more than a small piece, though — the cake is very rich, and the icing is even richer. It would probably taste great alongside a cup of tea or coffee, but I don’t drink them so someone will have to try it out and let me know!
The Rating
3/5
It’s not bad, as such, but I really don’t like it much. Luckily the creamed corn taste isn’t very strong and works well with the other ingredients. Anyone willing to pay for shipment for the rest of the cake in my freezer, you are welcome to it!
