Who says you can’t eat cake for breakfast? This light, lemony take on cornmeal is just sweet enough to provide you a happy pick-me-up first thing in the morning without being too overwhelming, and goes splendidly with all of your other favorite breakfast sides, like fresh fruit.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Sift together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together eggs, sugar, and zest. Set over a small pot of hot water, double-boiler style, and whisk until warm to touch, about 2 minutes.
4. Transfer the bowl to the mixer fitted with whisk attachment, and beat on medium speed until it thickens and lightens in color, and forms ribbons when the whisk is lifted, about 5–6 minutes.
5. In another bowl, combine oil, milk, and lemon juice. Return mixer to medium speed, and drizzle this into egg mixture. Reduce to low speed, and add the combined cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Finally, drizzle in melted butter, and combine.
6. Line an 8-inch metal loaf pan with parchment paper. Pour batter into the pan, and bake for 40–45 minutes, rotating once. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick or the tip of a sharp knife into the center of the cake—it should come out clean, and the cake should spring back when gently touched.
7. Remove cake from the oven, and immediately sprinkle the sugar on top. Place pan on a rack to cool for 10 minutes.
8. Carefully lift the cake out of the pan, and return it to the rack to finish cooling.