Cornmeal & Ricotta Cake with Cranberries by Yossy Arefi

From Yossy Arefi: "Bright cranberries add a pop of color to this otherwise humble cornmeal cake. Use medium ground cornmeal for this recipe, as coarser ground cornmeal will give the cake a gritty texture. I have included a recipe for a shocking pink and wonderfully tart fresh cranberry glaze below, but the cake is also quite beautiful with a simple dusting of confectioners’ sugar instead. "

 

Makes an 8 inch cake

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF (180ºC/Gas Mark 4). Butter an 8-inch springform pan or an 8-inch cake pan with sides at least 2 inches tall. Line the pan with a parchment paper and butter that, too. Dust the pan and paper with flour.
2. Whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing for 30 seconds after each addition. Add the ricotta and zests and mix for one more minute. Fold in the flour mixture all at once until just combined and then add the cranberries.
3. Fill the prepared pan with the batter and smooth the top. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert it onto a rack to cool completely.
4. While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze. Add the cranberries to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree. Add the confectioners’ sugar and pulse until smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable. If it seems too thick, add a few drops of water or lemon juice; if it seems too thin, add a bit more confectioners’ sugar.
5. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake and give it about 30 minutes to set before slicing. Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.