Food & Fitness

Ba(rac)king an Obama Cake!

I wish I could take the credit for coining that term, but “Ba(rac)king” is all Bag Lady!

Cammy was lamenting that I had no cake recipe when I was guest chef. So I figured that the inauguration was the perfect time to try out one of the recipes from my grandmother’s recipe book.

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It’s called a Johnny Cake, but we decided to name this one an Obama cake! I chose this one because it’s quite healthy for a cake- I actually didn’t change anything in this recipe (that’s a first:)). Really, it’s more cornbread than cake, but that’s why you need to eat it warm from the oven drizzled with maple syrup. Mmmm.

Johnny/Obama Cake

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 egg, slightly beaten

2/3 cup milk (I used 1%)

1/2 cup melted butter

Directions

1. Spray an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray. Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Mix and sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into large mixing bowl. Stir in cornmeal.

2. To beaten egg, add milk and melted butter. Pour all at once into dry ingredients. Stir with a fork only until all ingredients are dampened. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake in hot oven for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown in color.

3. Serve hot from the oven. Cut in large squares- really good with fresh maple syrup.

I popped the cake in for 20 minutes but my oven is so hot that it was already turning a darker brown. Managed to whip it out quick though before it burned. Because it’s so crumbly and delicate, we had to flip it upside down out of the pan.

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The top was prettier, though, so we flipped it again so it was right side up.

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The top crumbled and broke off when we flipped it. Ah well.

This was tasty and everyone who tried it really enjoyed it. A huge success! It tastes just like cornbread if you eat it cold and with nothing else on it, but it’s really delicious when you eat it hot out of the oven (or heated up in the microwave the next day) with some maple syrup or honey. Of course, I had to taste the batter (isn’t that the best part about baking?), and it was like having a spoonful of butter. Yummy.

27 Comments

  1. JavaChick

    This is too funny…I was just thinking last night that I haven’t had Johnny Cake in ages and maybe I would make one when my sister comes to visit next month. My Mom used to make them quite often, we always ate it with butter & corn syrup.

  2. Sagan Morrow

    MizFit- and easy to make as an added bonus!

    Bag Lady & ttfn300- makes my tummy so happy.

    Rupal & TA- that’s why I don’t like making pastry. You can’t eat pastry dough. I’ve tried. It tastes really gross.

    Dr. J- HEART Obama:D

    JavaChick- and now you’ve got a recipe!

    Dara- me too. Hence I need to quickly give it away to other people before I eat it all myself.

    HangryPants- hehe. It’s a great book.

    GandC- I’m not sure. Must admit that I really don’t know very much at all about gluten-free diets and all. But I would love to learn more and if you do make a gluten-free version, be sure to let me know how it goes!

  3. Sagan Morrow

    Sharon & Strongandhealthy- its such a special book. I love it:)

    Krystal- ahaha it was tasty. The books very old- been in use for nearly 60 years!

    Mark & Maggie- if you try it I’d love to know what you think.

    Chocolatecoveredvegan- there’s so much potential for the future with him as president.

  4. Dee

    Oh, this looks good. Maple syrup, yum!

    Thanks for the list. Apart from my obvious favourite, I’m intrigued by the the idea of striving for excellence rather than perfection. I also need me some radical surgery in my life. Sigh.

  5. Sagan Morrow

    Cammy- yep, you’ll have everyone signed up for BlogHer 09 in no time 😉

    Dee- I’m thinking it’s the saying “no” part that you need to do when people demand wedding cakes from you hehe. Although I’ve got to say it makes for a FANTASTIC story.

    Juliet- his name can be altered to accommodate so many different phrases… love it.

    Cassandra- ooh I hadn’t thought of that, but you’re right, it would be great with a dish like that!

    Scale Junkie & Dadivastreet- am glad to have brought back the memories 🙂

  6. megandeputter

    I love the picture of the recipe book. I have homemade recipe books like that from my Nana and mother and I love them both. Some of the recipes in there are from my great-great grandmother, others were collected from fellow moms when i was in kindergarten. I love that feeling of using recipes that have been well used by the women in my family.

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