blueberry cornmeal cake

Today I woke up promptly at 8:30AM and went straight to Fairway, as I was on Mother's Duty. Of course when I got home, there was still nothing in the fridge and breakfast polished off the rest of the cereal that we had. Don't you ever feel like you shop and spend all that money and then your fridge is bare? My Mom and I bond over this. I'm turning into an old lady, aren't I (I won't even talk about when I put the milk container in the cupboard and the sugar jar in the fridge yesterday). 

Then, I went to Brooklyn for a meeting regarding my summer plans; I'm doing community service for 2 weeks with a program called NY2NO that my sister went on a few summers ago. We'll be helping to run a community garden, canvassing, and generally trying to help rebuild the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans. I'm also going to Maine, where I go every year (and love), with my Dad, and to California with my Mom and Kelly. The latter, by the way, will entail a full food documentary. Don't you worry. I'm also going to visit Stanford while I'm there, because, well, I may as well dream, right?

So when I got back home there was a major street fair outside my building which usually I love more than anything, but I had to go inside and study. Instead I went inside and baked. Tada! My procrastination brings you good food. Or brings me good food and you the opportunity to make it. I absolutely love using cornmeal (and FYI, I suspect Big Nick's uses it to dust their pizza. It's addictive), and in this cake, along with the addition of ricotta and yogurt, it makes for a crispy moist, fresh, light summer treat. 

Blueberry Cornmeal Cake
from the Huckleberry Bakery & Cafe via Bon Appetit

 

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 3 cups fresh blueberries

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  Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Whisk flour and next 3 ingredients in medium bowl. Whisk oil, eggs, vanilla, and honey in another medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter, 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl until creamy. With mixer running on medium speed, gradually add egg mixture; beat to blend. Beat in flour mixture just to blend. Add ricotta and yogurt; beat on low speed just to blend. Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Scatter 1 1/2 cups blueberries over. Spoon remaining batter over in dollops, then spread to cover blueberries. Scatter remaining blueberries over. Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon sugar over.
  
  
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  Bake cake until top is golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack.