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Cornmeal and Rosemary Cake with Balsamic Syrup

Imagine the best corn muffin you’ve ever tasted, but richer and sweeter. The rosemary adds a subtle flavor and aroma that is reminiscent of the holidays. It’s equally nice with a cup of tea or a glass of dessert wine. Balsamic syrup is mellow and intense with an almost chocolatey flavor that complements the rosemary.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

Cake

1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup cake flour
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting
4 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

Balsamic Syrup

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 small fresh rosemary sprig

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan.

    Step 2

    In a medium bowl whisk together the cornmeal, cake flour, minced rosemary, baking powder, and salt.

    Step 3

    Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and vanilla together on low speed until combined. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar. Once the sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to high and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks and eggs 1 at a time, beating until each is incorporated before adding the next. Reduce the speed to medium and add the sour cream. On low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.

    Step 4

    Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake in the lower third of the oven until the cake is golden and pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool.

    Step 5

    While the cake bakes, make the balsamic syrup. Combine the sugar, balsamic vinegar, and rosemary in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Discard the rosemary sprig and let the syrup cool.

    Step 6

    Transfer the cake from the pan to a serving plate and dust with confectioners’ sugar. Serve drizzled with the balsamic syrup.

Reprinted with permission from Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2008 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.
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