Strawberry Rhubarb Cornmeal Sheet Cake: Oil-Based

Other fruit options that would pair well with cornbread could include:

• sliced peaches
• sliced plums
• blackberries
• raspberries
• apricots or nectarines
• blueberries

Herbs, Spices or Extract Additions

In the recipe below I used some almond extract along with vanilla as that is my favorite flavor combination for cakes.

There are many wonderful additions or substitutions you could use with a cornmeal cake however. Here are some popular ones:

• rose water
• orange blossom water
• rosemary or thyme
• lime zest instead of lemon
• fresh basil
• ginger or cardamom

For Savory Toppings

A cornmeal cake can also be enhanced with savory toppings rather than fruit. My favorite savory topping or filling is green tomatoes. We seem to end up with an abundance of green tomatoes in Fall on the farm and this cornmeal-tomato pairing is a classic.

Other ideas for savory toppings include:

• bacon
• cheddar cheese
• apples and onions
• peppers (sweet and/or hot)
• pickles (or pickled vegetables)

Butter or Oil for Cornmeal Cake?

I chose olive oil simply because I find it easier and the cake recipes I tested always seem to turn out better. I find olive oil adds a nuanced flavor to baked goods and keeps them moist.

If you do want to use butter instead of oil however, a general rule of thumb is to substitute three-quarters of the butter in a recipe with olive oil. In other words: If a baking recipe calls for a stick of butter (8 Tablespoons), for example, use 6 tablespoons of olive oil.

For more details on substituting butter for oil, check out this information on how to substitute olive oil for butter in baking.

About Cornmeal

When using cornmeal in cooking, recipes will often tell you to use cornmeal, but they don’t always specify which kind of cornmeal. Cornmeal can refer to many nuanced types, ranging from fine cornmeal, coarse cornmeal, corn flour, polenta, or even masa harina. It can become pretty confusing!

In the end, they are very similar ingredients, sometimes exactly the same by a different name. Here are a few of the differences that would make a difference in your final recipe:

1. Color: Cornmeal can be yellow or white. You will often see yellow cornmeal used in Italian cooking where it is referred to as polenta. White cornmeal is often used in the US when making Southern grits.
2. Texture: Cornmeal is referred to as fine or coarse, with corn flour being the finest grain. This is important because it tells you how fast it will cook
3. Flavor: The “taste” is the most noticeable difference, with the finer the grind the less corn flavor.
4. Masa, often used in Mexican cooking, is a bit different because it has been ‘nixtamalized.’ Nixtamalization is the process whereby the corn is soaked and cooked in an alkaline solution before being washed. The treated corn is then ground into masa. Blue masa harina is also prevalent in Mexican cooking. Nixtamalized masa can be used to form dough products like tortillas, whereas regular cornmeal cannot.
5. Cornflour is the UK version of US cornstarch, and is very finely ground and pretty much pure starch. It is often used as a thickener because it absorbs liquids very quickly.
6. Polenta is the Italian version of cornmeal and traditional polenta is very coarsely ground and will take a long time to cook. It is frequently used in savory recipes, or alone as polenta porridge or mush.

Whipped Cream: Soft peaks vs Stiff Peaks

Dollops of soft, creamy whipped cream adds the final touch to this cake. I like to add some vanilla or other flavoring to the whipped cream.

Since the recipe below uses almond extract in the batter, I would add a touch of almond extract to the whipped cream also. I often use a little rose water to the whipped cream when making fruit desserts.

Whipped cream is pretty easy if you have a stand mixer or something comparable. These pictures show you the difference between soft peaks and stiff peaks, if that is something you want to perfect.

Illustrated Step by Step

These simple steps will get you a perfect oil-based strawberry rhubarb sheet cake. It’s easy and great for Summer potlucks or garden parties.

Steps 1 and 2: Chop the rhubarb and slice the strawberries thinly. Add them to a bowl and sprinkle with sugar and set aside to macerate while you make the batter.