Alivanca with Crunchy Corn Kernels
With so many modern and easily accessible desserts around us, you may have forgotten about the simple and traditional alivanca. No worries, that's why you have me, to remind you of old recipes adapted to modern times.
The idea came to me when the people at Bonduelle asked me to try their vacuum-packed corn kernels, super sweet and crunchy. What's special about this corn is that it's naturally sweet, has no added sugar, and the kernels are large and crunchy. The second thing I noticed is that when you open the can, you smell the pleasant, slightly sweet smell of freshly boiled corn.
I wondered then what a fluffy alivanca would be like with these corn kernels contrasting in texture and color. You know me well enough by now, I'm greedy and curious, so I quickly got to work and baked this Romanian cake. The first batch didn't last even 30 minutes on the table, and in the evening I had to make another one with even more corn kernels, by special request.
The alivanca seemed better to me on the day I made it, but what was left for the next day was still fluffy.
Ingredients
450g fresh cow cheese (sweet cottage cheese)
3 eggs
100g cornmeal
1/2 can Gold Bonduelle corn (from a 425ml can)
200ml milk
100g sugar
1 packet vanilla sugar
50g butter at room temperature
60ml sweet cooking cream (32% fat)
35g all-purpose flour
1 pinch cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Servings: 8
How to prepare alivanca with crunchy corn kernels
- Drain the corn from the can. Put the milk in a small pot to heat and when it's hot, add the corn and vanilla sugar. Turn off the heat. Cover the pot with a plate and let it infuse for 15 minutes.
- Put the corn in a strainer to drain well.
- Put the milk from the corn back in the pot and add the sugar. Stir until dissolved. Add the cornmeal and mix well. Then cook on low heat, stirring constantly until the cornmeal swells a bit and you get a soft polenta like vanilla custard. Let the polenta cool (stir a few times during this to speed up cooling). During this time the polenta will thicken a bit more.
- Put the cow cheese in a bowl and mix with the egg yolks. Mix well so that you no longer have large lumps of cheese.
- Add the creamed butter and blend. Add the sweet cream and mix.
- Add the cooled polenta, white flour (sifted beforehand with the baking powder, cinnamon and salt). Mix everything very well. You will get a thick mixture. Incorporate the corn.
- Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add the foam to the mixture above, in 3 batches, mixing gently with the whisk.
- Pour the mixture into a buttered baking pan (you can use a 20cm diameter round pan or an 18cm square pan).
- Bake at 180°C for 50-55 minutes. The alivanca will lightly brown on the edges and small cracks may appear on top.
- Let it cool completely then it can be sliced. Serve plain, just sprinkled with powdered sugar or with sour cream mixed with sugar.
Cornmeal cooked in milk
The mixture before adding the corn and egg whites
The final mixture
The baked alivanca
The alivanca removed from the pan
