Bolo de Fubá (Brazilian Cornmeal Cake)

Heat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 24 cm bundt or loaf tin and dust it with a little cornmeal, tapping out the excess.

Put the eggs, milk, oil and sugar into a blender and blend for 30 seconds until smooth.

💡 A blender is the classic short-cut for bolo de fubá — it dissolves the sugar and beats air in without any creaming.

In a bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, salt and fennel seeds. Pour in the blended wet mixture and whisk just until smooth.

Add the baking powder last and fold it through gently. Pour the batter — it will be quite thin — straight into the tin.

💡 Add the raising agent last and bake straight away — it starts working the moment it hits the wet batter, and waiting flattens the rise.

Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the top is golden and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean.

Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, dusted with a little sugar if you like.