Easy Vegan Skillet Corncake | with variations

For Classic Corncake:

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F with an 8" cast iron skillet set on middle rack. Allow skillet to preheat for a solid 20-30 minutes (depending on how fast your oven preheats) before you add the batter to it.
2. Add lemon juice to milk and let stand while you prepare other ingredients to thicken milk.
3. Whisk together cornmeal, flour, rapadura, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Add olive oil and vanilla extract to milk mixture and whisk together.
4. Add wet to dry and stir together with a rubber spatula until just incorporated.
5. Using a potholder carefully remove hot skillet from oven so as not to burn oneself. Add 1 tablespoon of a high heat tolerant oil like canola or sunflower oil to the skillet and using a potholder hold the handle and swirl skillet so oil covers the entire base and lower part of the sides.
6. Add the batter to the oiled skillet-it should sizzle. Place skillet back on center rack in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until edges are nicely browned and the top is cracked and golden.
7. Cool in skillet for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature.

For Fresh Fruit Corncake:

1. Follow the classic recipe above with reduced olive oil.
2. Add the grated zest of 1 lemon to the batter.
3. Add ¾ cup fresh/frozen berries or chopped/sliced fresh/frozen fruits to the batter and fold them in right before adding the batter to the skillet.
4. After you add the batter to the skillet decorate the top of the batter with another ¼ cup of whatever fruit you are using. You can optionally sprinkle top with a spoonful of sweetener of your choice.
5. Baking time is the same.

For Dried Fruit and Nut Corncake:

1. Follow the classic recipe above with reduced olive oil.
2. add ½ cup of chopped dried fuits like dates, figs, sweetened cranberries, raisins, currants, etc.
3. add ½ cup of chopped nuts like walnuts, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, almonds, etc.
4. Baking time is the same.

For Cranberry-Orange Corncake:

1. Follow the classic recipe above with reduced olive oil.
2. Add 1 cup of halved fresh or frozen cranberries and the grated zest of 1 orange to the batter.
3. Baking time is the same.

For Fresh Corn & Jalapeño Corncake:

1. Follow the classic recipe above, without vanilla extract. Optionally reduce rapadura to ¼ cup, or omit altogether for a less sweet version.
2. Add ½ cup fresh/frozen sweet corn kernels and 1 diced fresh jalapeño pepper to batter. Optionally add tablespoon of chopped cilantro.
3. Baking time is the same.

For Fresh Herb Corncake:

1. Follow the classic recipe above, without vanilla extract. Optionally reduce rapadura to ¼ cup, or omit altogether for a less sweet version.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme, tarragon, sage, parsley, cilantro, mint, fennel flowers/pollen, dill, oregano or any combination thereof.
3. Add the grated zest of a lemon.
4. Baking time is the same.

For Corncake Muffins:

1. Grease or line a standard 12 portion muffin tin.
2. Follow any of the recipe versions above, but do not preheat the muffin tin.
3. Spoon batter into the muffin cups to ¾ full.
4. Bake muffins at 375˚F for 20-25 minutes until tops are golden and cracked.