Pati’s Mexican Table Blissful Corn Torte: a Cookbook Review [+ recipe]
Ingredients
½ pound (224 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the baking dish
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
8 eggs (400 g, weighed out of shell), separated, at room temperature
¾ cup (120 g) superfine white rice flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ cup (4 fluid ounces) heavy cream
4 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels (from about 6 ears)
1 cup (8 fluid ounces) whole milk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-x-13-inch baking dish.
With an electric mixer, beat the butter in a large bowl on high speed until creamy. Add the granulated sugar and beat until thoroughly mixed and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low and add the egg yolks one by one, beating until they are well incorporated.
In a small bowl, combine the rice flour and baking powder. Add a bit of the dry ingredients and then a bit of the heavy cream alternately to the butter mixture, continuing until you’ve added them all, beating until well mixed.
In a blender or food processor, pulse the corn kernels with the milk until roughly pureed. Add to the butter mixture and beat until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. If using a stand mixer, pour the butter/corn mixture into a large bowl.
In another large bowl beat the egg whites and salt with clean beaters until stiff peaks form. Gently fold one fifth of the beaten egg whites into the butter-corn mixture until blended. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites, taking care not to deflate them. It’s OK if the batter looks streaky.
Pour the batter into the baking dish. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the torte is springy to the touch and lightly browned. Cool slightly. The torte can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold. Serve cut into squares. Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar on top if you like (I always do).
Excerpted from PATI’S MEXICAN TABLE, © 2013 by Pati Jinich. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.