Posted on July 1st, 2008 by Carolyn
We have a restaurant chain here in the West (California, Oregon and Arizona) called El Torito. There are “regular” restaurants (maybe 20-30 of them), and also about 10 called El Torito Grill. For some years our family frequented the Grill for Sunday buffet-style brunch. It was the best bargain in town. This was when our children were ravenous teenagers and even into young adulthood. Our son could put away plates and plates of food from this place and still be hungry for more. Back then it was about $12.95 for brunch. If they even serve brunch now, am sure it’s a whole lot more money these days. One of the staples amidst the hot trays for the brunch was this Sweet Corn Cake. It’s kind of a cross between a soft cake and a savory pudding. It’s served with most of their entrees as well. It is sweet, although it’s supposed to be a side dish to an entrée, not a dessert. But, as good as it is, you could likely serve it with a bit of cream and call it dessert. The recipe was printed in the Los Angeles Times many, many years ago.
It’s made with masa harina. Shortened to the word “masa,” it’s a finely ground corn flour that’s mixed with lye - a staple of the Mexican diet. The recipe also calls for lard. Now I don’t have lard in my pantry, so I just substituted additional butter, or you could use shortening too. I also didn’t have quite 10 ounces of frozen corn, either, but once it’s whizzed up in the food processor (or blender) it hardly mattered. And the corn I did have was the scorched, roasted corn from Trader Joe’s, so it gave the cake a bit of a dark fleck. Those alterations made no difference in the scrumptious taste.
My opinion is this recipe should be made in 150% quantity (so it’s deeper in the pan), or maybe even double. You’d have to watch the baking time – naturally it would take longer. And doing it in a food processor won’t make the corn into complete mush. It takes no time at all to mix it up, but note that it takes a good long while to bake (covered with foil) and an additional 15 minutes to sit. So, start an hour and a half ahead of serving time! Serve it hot.
Sweet Corn Cakes
Recipe: El Torito Restaurant Chain
Servings: 10
2 tablespoons lard — or use additional butter or shortening
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup masa harina
3 tablespoons cold water
10 ounces frozen corn kernels
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar — or less, if desired
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Place lard and butter in a mixing bowl and whip until butter softens. Continue whipping until mixture becomes fluffy and creamy. Add masa gradually and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Add water gradually, mixing thoroughly.
2. Place corn kernels in food processor (or blender) and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add a tablespoon or two of milk if it seems too thick to combine. Stir into the masa mixture.
3. Place cornmeal, sugar, whipping cream, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix quickly. Add butter-masa mixture and mix just until blended.
4. Pour into an 8-inch baking pan and cover with foil. Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until corn cake has firm texture. Allow to stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes before cutting. Cut into squares or use a small ice cream scoop.
Cook’s Notes: I recommend you increase the recipe by 50%, and still bake in the 8×8 pan. Test for doneness starting at 60 minutes.
Per Serving: 149 Calories; 9g Fat (50.7% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 19mg Cholesterol; 115mg Sodium.
