Gluten-Free Vanilla Cornbread Recipe

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A wedge of vanilla cornbread. Gluten-free yum.

This is not your average weeknight cornbread. You know, the one you toss together from a gluten-free mix to serve with a bowl of white chicken chili as you catch up with Mad Men season four. Nope. This tender cake-like cornbread is a pinch more elegant. A gently sweet treat you might serve at high tea with a gaggle of girlfriends (or low tea, depending upon the company you keep). Picture fresh cut flowers on the table, stemmed glasses filled with dewy fresh berries, a pot of Earl Grey tea or organic chamomile buds steeping beneath a cozy.

This is the sort of cornbread that begs to be served with style. That longs to be gussied up. The kind of cornbread you eat with a fork.
A cornbread that secretly dreams of being cake.

Vanilla cornbread. Is it cake?

Gluten-Free Vanilla Cornbread Recipe

This isn't the typical green chile studded cornbread we usually make around here. It has more brown sugar than my original recipe (gasp!) and a dose of deeply dark bourbon vanilla extract. It sports a touch more cinnamon and a hint of nutmeg. Which makes this  cornbread perfect for tea time or brunch. Serve it when you need a little civilized indulgence in your life.


Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Grease and prepare a 9-inch cake pan by lining it with parchment paper.
Ingredients:

Whisk together:
1 cup certified gluten-free cornmeal3/4 cup sorghum flour1/2 cup tapioca starch or potato starch (not potato flour!)
1 cup organic light brown sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder1 rounded teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
Add in and stir:
2 organic free-range eggs or 1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer whisked with 1/4 cup warm water till frothy1/2 cup plus two tablespoons light olive oil1 cup very warm water (I nuke it for 30 seconds)1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla extract
Instructions:

Beat by hand until a smooth batter is formed, about one minute. Add up to 2 extra tablespoons of warm water, if needed, to thin. The batter should be like thick cake  or muffin batter- but not too stiff.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake in the center of a pre-heated oven for 25 to 35 minutes (depending upon your altitude), until firm to the touch in the center. Here at sea level it baked in 30 minutes. (A wooden pick inserted into the center should emerge dry.)
Place the pan on a wire rack and allow the cornbread to rest 15 minutes before cutting. This helps keep the slices from crumbling apart. Use a very sharp knife to slice it into pieces.
Serve warm and offer heated maple syrup for dipping. Or add fresh berries to the side with a dollop of tangy yogurt.
Yields 8 to 10 slices.


Karina's Notes:

The photos show this recipe baked with no eggs- totally vegan. I used 1 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer whisked with 1/4 cup warm water.

I have also made this cornbread with a half cup less brown sugar, I confess. It's less sweet (duh) and more akin to a hearty, regular cornbread with a hint of vanilla. So if you prefer your treats with less sugar, try it with less, and let me know what you think.

The deep golden color of the cornbread comes from the organic light brown sugar.

I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Cornmeal because the cornmeal is milled in a dedicated gluten-free facility (an aspect becoming more and more important to me). The texture is less refined, more stone-ground (you can see the flecks of the cornmeal in the photograph). I love the whole grain texture. --And, as always, I bought the cornmeal on my own, it was not given to me as a sample to publicize. 

Vanilla laced cornbread.

Enjoy sugary treats in moderation. Gluten-Free Goddess advises consuming no more than 2 tablespoons of sugar a day.