It's Red, White and Blue Baby

I'm always excited to have guests over - because then  I can make extra special food. Tonight, in honor of tomorrow being the 4th of July, I made a Lemon-Cornmeal Pound Cake with Berries and Cream from the June, 2010 Cooking Light magazine. It is awesome. You can add any kind of berries or fruit you would like. I happened to have a lot of strawberries and blueberries since they're in season. I got rave comments from my guests and will likely make it again. Here is the recipe from Cooking Light (which is an excellent magazine by the way). HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Lemon-Cornmeal Pound Cake with Berries and Cream

Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 cake slice, about 1/4 cup berries, and 1 tablespoon cream)

Ingredients

CAKE:

7.9  ounces  all-purpose flour (1 3/4 cups)

1/2  cup  cornmeal

1  teaspoon  baking soda

1/4  teaspoon  salt

1 1/2  cups  granulated sugar

10  tablespoon  butter, softened

3  large eggs

2  teaspoons  grated lemon rind

1  teaspoon  vanilla extract

2/3  cup  nonfat buttermilk

3  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice

3  large egg whites

Cooking spray

2  tablespoons  all-purpose flour

TOPPING:

1 1/2  cups  fresh blueberries

1 1/2  cups  sliced fresh strawberries

1  cup  fresh blackberries

1/4  cup  granulated sugar

1  tablespoon  fresh lemon juice

1/2  cup  heavy whipping cream

2  tablespoons  powdered sugar

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare cake, weigh or lightly spoon 7.9 ounces (about 1 3/4 cups) flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt). Combine 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended; stir in rind and vanilla. Combine buttermilk and 3 tablespoons juice. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

3. Place egg whites in a large, clean bowl; beat at high speed using clean, dry beaters until stiff peaks form. Gently fold half of egg whites into batter. Gently fold in remaining egg whites. Spoon batter into a 10-inch tube pan coated with cooking spray and dusted with 2 tablespoons flour. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

4. To prepare topping, combine berries, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon juice. Chill 30 minutes. Beat cream with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Serve cake with berries and cream.