gluten free lemon cornbread cake

Can I just tell you how much I appreciate spring break? No school! No work! No grown-up obligations! I've been hanging out at my parents' house in my itty-bitty hometown. My parents have been cooking me dinner, and they do all the dishes. They're beautiful people.

When I was in high school, I couldn't wait to leave my hometown. I had known all the same people since kindergarten. College, I imagined, was a place where I would meet exotic, exciting people and do exotic, exciting things.

To a certain extent, that was true. But here's what I didn't anticipate... In college, you work like hell, and you get tired as hell. Most of the time, you're way too busy to party. Sometimes you start to feel like you're not a kid anymore. Other times, you feel ill-equipped and very childish.

So yes, it's good to be home for a little while. It's funny how perspective changes with time.

Now, what does all of this have to do with cake? Nothing really. But cake goes well with everything, even self-reflection.

This cake is a hybrid between this Gluten Free Mommy cornbread and this delectable Joy the Baker recipe. It is tender, crumbly, moist, and homey. The lemon makes it tangy and scrumptious. The icing is simple and adds an extra citrus kick.

LEMON CORNBREAD CAKE

1 cup rice flour

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

5 tbs butter

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400. In large bowl, combine the first 5 dry ingredients.

On a stove, heat a 9-inch cast iron skillet. Melt the butter and allow it to cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Pour the butter into a small bowl to cool. (It's okay if you don't get all the butter out of the pan--about 1 tbs should remain in the skillet for lubrication.)

When the butter is somewhat cooled, add the eggs, milk, lemon juice/zest, and vanilla to it. Thoroughly combine, and add mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir to combine.

Pour the batter into the hot cast-iron skillet (you should hear a sizzle--this is the crust forming.) Immediately and carefully place the skillet into the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly brown & pull away from the sides of the pan.

Allow to cool, then poke the cake several times with a fork, making little holes for the lemon icing to seep into. Add the lemon icing when cooled.

LEMON ICING

1 lemon

About 3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/8 tsp salt

Juice and zest the lemon into a small bowl. Add the salt, then sift in 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Stir until smooth and thick. If needed, sift in the rest of the sugar. If it gets too thick, just add more lemon juice or water.