Corn Cake with Candied Corn Flakes and Olive Oil Frosting

Written by: Cooks of Heraclea

Time: 2 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients: 21

Golden sweet corn and olive oil cake topped with candied corn flakes, with Heraclea olive oil bottles behind

Sweet corn baked into a tender olive oil crumb, candied corn flakes for crunch, and a frosting made of nothing but olive oil and confectioners' sugar. Three of our oils each do a different job here: the Everyday carries the cake, the Early Harvest sharpens the caramel on the flakes, and the Mature Harvest turns the frosting silky without a stick of butter in sight. The flakes bake while the cake cools, so the timing takes care of itself. Make extra; they disappear by the handful.

Ingredients:

For the cake

1 cup Heraclea Everyday Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup thick-strained yogurt, room temperature
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 can sweet corn (15.25 oz / 432 g), drained

For the candied corn flakes

1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons Heraclea Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups corn flakes

For the olive oil frosting

1/3 cup Heraclea Mature Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar

Steps:

Make the cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with at least 2-inch sides and line the bottom with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil, granulated sugar, yogurt, honey, and vanilla bean paste until the sugar begins to dissolve.
Add the eggs and whisk until fully incorporated. The batter should become pale yellow and slightly thickened.
Place a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl and sift in the flour and cornmeal. Remove the sieve, then add the salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until no dry streaks remain.
Switch to a whisk and mix for about 1 minute, until most of the remaining small lumps have disappeared. Fold in the corn kernels.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Make the candied corn flakes

While the cake cools, make sure the oven is still at 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, olive oil, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then cook for 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and baking soda. The mixture will foam.
Add the corn flakes and gently fold until evenly coated.
Spread the coated corn flakes into an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to ensure even caramelization.
Let cool completely before transferring to an airtight container.

Make the frosting

In a medium bowl, whisk or beat together the olive oil and confectioners' sugar until smooth and glossy.
Once the cake and candied corn flakes have cooled completely, spread the frosting evenly over the top.
Finish with a generous handful of candied corn flakes just before serving for maximum crunch.