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Zlevanka
Baked cornmeal and buttermilk cake
Koruzna zlevanka: Slovenian baked cornmeal and buttermilk cake, eaten with white coffee
Zlevanka, from the Slovenian for 'poured', is a farmhouse batter cake from the Prekmurje and Štajerska regions, poured into a tin and baked for breakfast, then cut into squares and eaten with a big cup of milky white coffee. This sweet version is made with cornmeal and buttermilk, which give it a soft, moist, slightly crumbly crumb with a golden crust; some families add fruit on top. The common mistake is overmixing the batter once the flour goes in, which makes it tough; stir only until combined. Chef's tip: soak the cornmeal in the buttermilk for 15 minutes before mixing, so it softens and the cake isn't gritty.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 7 oz fine yellow cornmeal
- 1 ¾ cups cultured buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 2 ⅞ oz sugar
- 2 ⅛ oz buttermelted, plus extra for the tin
- 2 ⅞ oz plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 plums or apples (optional)sliced
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Stir 7 oz fine yellow cornmeal into 1 ¾ cups cultured buttermilk and leave for 15 minutes to soften.
Step 2: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan) and butter a 20 × 30 cm baking tin.
Step 4: Fold in 2 ⅞ oz plain flour, 2 tsp baking powder and 1 pinch salt until just combined. Pour into the tin and arrange 2 plums or apples on top if using.
Step 5: Bake for 35–40 minutes, until golden and a skewer in the middle comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, cut into squares and serve warm.
40 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does zlevanka take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of cultured buttermilk?
- Milk with lemon juice or white vinegar: 1 tbsp per 240ml (1 cup) milk, left for 5 minutes.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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