Cornmeal and Condensed Milk (Chess) Pie
I grew up eating custard, which forms the basis of some of my favourite desserts. Cornmeal was a staple in my household, so aside from cornbread and sadza, I’m not opposed to using it in other recipes, such as a custard pie! Then there was glorious condensed milk. Luckily I'll never have to give it up because there are dairy-free versions, the creamy sweetness is unparalleled.
The inspiration for this recipe was the chess pie, an old recipe with origins in England made in many American Southern states, Virginia and New England. The main ingredients are typically milk, eggs, butter, sugar and cornmeal. I used condensed milk and evaporated milk to add to the richness. The cornmeal, of course, adds a bit of texture (but that also depends on the coarseness).
Lemon and chocolate are common additions to other chess pie recipes, but I wanted to stick to an original custard-like filling!
Cornmeal and Condensed Milk (Chess) Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust (at room temperature)
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 1/4 cup condensed milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 1/4 cup evaporated milk
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter
Instructions
- Roll out the pie crust in a pan. Poke small holes at the bottom and sides of the crust with a knife or fork, then put in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Blind bake the pie crust at 425F for another 15 minutes, using pie weights, dried beans or rice on a piece of parchment paper to help make sure the crust doesn't form air pockets that puff up.
- Once your crust is done, set aside and turn your oven down to 350F.
- For the custard filling, beat the eggs and sugar until well incorporated. Whisk in the condensed milk, butter, water, vanilla, almond, vinegar, and evaporated milk.
- Whisk in the flour, salt, cinnamon, and cornmeal. All ingredients should be evenly combined. Your filling will be a bit watery, but it will have time to set.
- Bake the pie for 45-50 minutes, until it sets and is firm to touch. Let the pie cool at room temperature to finish setting for about 4 hours then chill before serving.
- Dust with icing sugar or cinnamon!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
437Fat (grams)
22.7 gCarbs (grams)
54.6 gSugar (grams)
42.8 gI am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on dontmissmyplate.com should only be used as a general guideline.
Tried this recipe? I’d really love to know how it turned out for you. Leave a quick review or comment below — your feedback helps others (and makes my day!).
Vanilla Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
This recipe is all you need for a birthday! A simple vanilla cake with some funfetti sprinkles.
Inspired by the German Gugelhupf, bundt cakes are one of my favorite tea-time treats.
What is the difference between yellow and white cake?
To be clear, this is a yellow vanilla cake. The egg yolks determine the distinction between the two. This difference shows in the colour, texture, and fat content - a white cake has less fat with the removal of yolks and tends to be spongier from the whipped egg whites. However, both are delicious but can serve different purposes. Think angel cake versus, well, this!
How to make a cake moist?
I am not a professional baker, but the answer to this is simple: add more moisture! You will be grateful to add an extra wet ingredient or two to the mix. There are a few you can incorporate into the batter, including:
Yoghurt
Cream cheese
Sour cream
Ricotta
Those are some of my go-to ingredients, but oil, eggs, milk, and heavy cream also aid you.
You also want to be mindful if you use alternative flours. Protein content can affect how dry the flour is, so you want to ensure the moisture you add matches up accordingly. Cake flour, for instance, is drier and crumblier as it has less protein. For this recipe, stick to the all-purpose if possible. Otherwise, look up what it will mean if you use wheat flour, for example, for the other ingredients!
What is the best frosting for cakes?
That is up to you. I am not a huge fan of buttercream icing, one of the most popular homemade cakes. I can eat it, but I prefer cream cheese frosting - its tangier cousin - or whipped cream, depending on the final product. I find the cream cheese removes the metallic taste in icing sugar, which can throw off your entire cake even if the batter is good. In this case, I recommend being a little heavy-handed with any extracts or zests you use to accent the icing, such as lemon and vanilla. Along with a bit of heavy cream, this will mask the icing sugar taste and give your icing some personality!
Vanilla Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 5 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest/extract
- 1 1/4 cups low fat vanilla yoghurt, room temperature
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cups vegetable oil
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice or 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest/extract
- 3 1/2 cups icing sugar
- Funfetti sprinkles
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk the dry ingredients for the cake except for the sugar, and set aside.
- Whisk the yoghurt and butter in a large bowl with a hand or stand mixer until smooth.
- Whisk in the vanilla and lemon.
- On medium-low speed, beat the sugar incrementally until slightly fluffy.
- On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating until integrated. Use a spatula to get anything on the sides into the bowl.
- Whisk in the oil and milk until well incorporated.
- Whisk in the flour gradually on low speed until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined. Don't overmix; this could result in a dense cake!
- Spray a bundt cake tin, and pour in the batter—Smoothen with a spatula. Bake at 325F/163C until the cake is golden. Use a wooden stick or fork to ensure the thickest part of the cake is dry.
- Remove from the stove and cool on a rack for 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the tin and complete the cooking process for another hour before icing.
- Mix the cream cheese and butter in a separate bowl using an electric mixer. Add the icing sugar in three parts gradually, and then mix in the vanilla.
- Add the milk, and whisk until the icing continues to smoothen.
- Add the salt and lemon and adjust to your liking.
- When ready to frost the cake, move to a piping or plastic bag using the end and design you prefer.
- Decorate with sprinkles, and enjoy! Store in the fridge for up to five days.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
657Fat (grams)
34.3Carbs (grams)
83.1Sugar (grams)
61.3Protein (grams)
7.4I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on dontmissmyplate.com should only be used as a general guideline.
Amarula Custard
If you're looking to make a homemade custard with a kick and top your cakes and tarts, this is it. The marula fruit taste comes together wonderfully as a cream-based liquor sauce.
This recipe is meant to compliment the Malva Pudding Cake recipe.