Fresh Corn Cake with Raspberries

Summer dinners deserve equally summery desserts - sneak pureed fresh corn and fresh raspberries into this easy cake for a dessert that's bursting with flavor.

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels
• 6 tablespoons melted and cooled vegan butter
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 Ener-G eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 and 1/4 cups vegan sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups fresh raspberries
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon vegan powdered sugar

1. Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray, and line the bottom of the pan with wax paper.  Coat the wax paper with cooking spray; set aside.

2. Combine the corn, butter, water, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and Ener-G eggs in a blender or food processor; process until smooth.

3. Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife.  Combine the flour in a bowl with the sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.  Add the corn mixture to the flour mixture and stir just until combined.

4. Toss the raspberries with the remaining 2 tablespoons flour - doing so ensures that the raspberries won't sink in the batter, and won't stain the entire cake pink.  Fold the raspberry mixture into the batter.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour - a wooden pick inserted in the center should come out clean.  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then remove the cake from the pan and carefully peel off the wax paper.  Cool the cake completely on a wire rack.  Dust with the the powdered sugar for a pretty finish on top.

Nutrition Info:

10 servings (1 wedge), Calories 291 

Tasting Notes:
Whoa - the fresh corn flavor in here nearly blew me away.  So much so, in fact, that I think the raspberries were unnecessary - their strong flavor and the crunch of the raspberry seeds detracted from the moist corn cake batter, and next time I would leave them out, and just serve fresh fruit on the side.  Yet even as is, this cake is a great stand-by recipe for summer, and could do double duty as coffee cake for breakfast.

Rating:
3.5