Cornstarch vanilla cake
A tender, fine-crumbed vanilla cake made with cornstarch in place of flour, which makes it naturally gluten-free. It is light, slightly sandy and delicately sweet, and is served plain or dusted with sugar.
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease a 9 × 5-inch loaf pan with a little oil.
Beat the eggs and oil together in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Add the sugar and vanilla and keep beating for 8 to 10 minutes, until the mixture is pale, thick and creamy.
Mix the baking powder into the cornstarch and sift it over the egg mixture in two additions. Fold gently from the bottom up with a spatula until no streaks of cornstarch remain.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 40 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let it rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a platter and serve.
Notes
The long beating is what gives the cake its lift, because there is no flour or gluten to hold the air. Do not shorten it, and fold in the cornstarch gently so the batter does not deflate.
Cornstarch is naturally gluten-free, but check the label on the baking powder, and on the vanilla if you are serving someone with celiac disease, since cross-contact is possible.
The crumb is fine and slightly dry in the way of sponge cakes, which makes it good with fruit, jam or a cup of tea.
Variations
Add the grated zest of 1 lemon or orange to the eggs, or replace the vanilla with 1 tablespoon orange blossom water.
Dust the cooled cake with confectioners' sugar, or brush it with a light sugar syrup.
Serve with fresh fruit, whipped cream or a spoonful of guava or apricot jam.
Source
Cornstarch cakes appear in many cuisines, and no country is tied to this one. In Cuba, a family cake made with eggs, sugar and cornstarch is naturally gluten-free, and in Germany the Sandkuchen ("sand cake") owes its fine, sandy crumb to cornstarch.