Cornflour For Meringue Layer Cake

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Nigella's Strawberry Meringue Layer Cake (from NIGELLA SUMMER) has cake layers consisting of a sponge base and a meringue top. The sponge base is made with a combination of plain (all-pupose) flour and cornflour (cornstarch) as this combination of flours gives a softer, more tender sponge.

Cornflour is not the same as cornmeal and they are not interchangeable. Cornflour is very fine and powdery and is made only from the endosperm (the very centre) of corn (maize) and is pretty flavourless. In the US it is known as cornstarch. Cornmeal is made from whole, dried kernels of corn that are then ground. Cornmeal is more gritty than cornflour and has more of a corn flavour to it. Cornmeal usually comes in fine or coarse ground form and cornmeal is also the ingredient used to make polenta and grits. Masa harina is a special type of flour made from corn that has been treated with alkalis and is used to make the dough for tortillas.