My sister, Tina, was coming over to do a photoshoot of a few of my favorite traditional Greek dishes. She took a lot of amazing pictures, so I had a little something in store for her. For dessert, I made a Blackberry Cornbread Cake with Maple Whipped Cream.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 to 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yields: 6 to 8 servings
Equipment: 1 (10-inch) cast-iron skillet, 2 large mixing bowls, 1 medium-size mixing bowl, 1 hand-held electric mixer, whisk

Ingredients for the Blackberry Cornbread Cake:
2 tablespoons of butter, unsalted
2 cups of buttermilk, whole-fat
1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons of whole milk ricotta, room temperature
1 cup of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of fine white cornmeal
3/4 cup of maple sugar
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1/2 cup of heavy cream
2 pints of blackberries
Garnishes:
1/2 pint of blackberries
Pure Maple syrup for serving
Sprigs of fresh mint

Ingredients For Maple Whipped Cream:
1 cup of heavy cream
1 teaspoon of Maple emulsion (maple extract)
1/4 cup of powdered sugar
Garnish:
Dusting of cinnamon sugar

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease a 10-inch cast-iron (ovenproof) skillet with butter.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla extract, ricotta, and eggs. In a separate medium-size mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, maple sugar, baking soda, and salt, and whisk the dry ingredients together until combined. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the buttermilk mixture until smooth.

Line the blackberries in the buttered skillet, then pour the batter over the top. Finally, pour heavy cream into the center of the batter. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden brown.

Instructions for the Maple Whipped Cream:
In the meantime, in a pre-chilled large mixing bowl, add heavy cream. Using a hand-held mixer, beat the whipped cream until soft peaks form. Add maple emulsion (extract) and powdered sugar. Beat until firm. Cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to chill.

I like to serve this cake warm with a dollop of cold Maple Whipped Cream on top. Finish with a light sprinkling of cinnamon sugar and a sprig of fresh mint.

There you have it, my Blackberry Cornbread Cake With Maple Whipped Cream.

Note:
1) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

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