• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Homemade & Yummy
  • Home
  • ABOUT ME
  • CONTACT
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Roundups
  • Brand Influencer
    • Work With Me
  • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure & Copyright
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Recipes
  • Subscribe
  • Brand Influencer
  • Work With Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Recipes
    • Subscribe
    • Brand Influencer
    • Work With Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Baking, Desserts & Sweets » Cakes

    Vibrant Lemon Polenta Cake

    Published: March 17, 2025 / By: Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy 187 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Disclosure Policy.
    XPinterestFacebookFlipboard
    Jump To Recipe
    Pinterest Hidden Image

    Easy Lemon Polenta Cake recipe for a delicious, elegant, gluten-free dessert. It is simple and refined, the perfect way to end a meal.

    This flourless cake is made with cornmeal and almond flour. Topped with a sweet and tart lemon syrup and a dusting of icing sugar. By far the best polenta cake we have ever eaten.

    Lemon polenta cake topped with sugar.

    An Italian-inspired polenta dessert recipe bursting with lots of lemon flavour. Great for afternoon tea or special occasion dessert.

    I love lemon desserts, especially lemon curd. Tangy with a bit of sweetness. Great for pies, tarts, muffins, and lemon curd parfaits. Did you know it also is the perfect filling for making easy lemon tarts?

    NEW WEEKLY RECIPES DELIVERED RIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

    Never Miss A Recipe, Sign Up Today!

    Lemon desserts are always a sure sign of spring. Perfect for Easter celebrations. My Ukrainian Cheesecake has a nice hit of lemon zest. It is also known as Ukrainian Easter sweet cheese or Syrnyk.

    This Italian cornmeal cake is moist and flavourful. You will never believe how easy it is to bake with polenta. It has quickly become our favourite gluten-free lemon cake recipe.

    Cornmeal was something I have loved since childhood. I would often just boil some up and eat it with sour cream. I know that may sound weird, but perhaps that is the Ukrainian in me. It was all about the savoury polenta dishes. Have you tried shrimp and grits?

    I had never tried a sweet polenta dessert recipe until I made this lemon cornmeal cake. In fact, I didn’t even know you could use polenta in cakes.

    Both my husband and I rate lemon meringue pie at the top of our dessert list. Since making this cake, it seems like this is a very, very close second.

    Lemon Cornmeal Cake Ingredients

    • butter
    • polenta (ground cornmeal)
    • superfine sugar (see recipe tip)
    • almond flour (ground almonds)
    • baking powder
    • eggs
    • lemon zest
    • lemon juice
    • icing sugar

    Baking Polenta Cake

    Simple and elegant, rustic yet classy. Full instructions are in the recipe card. This recipe was adapted from Nigella Lawson’s polenta cake recipe.

    How to bake polenta cake without flour.
    • Heat the oven and grease a round cake pan. I used a springform pan.
    • Juice the lemons. I like using a citrus reamer.
    • Zest the lemons. A microplane works best.
    • Combine the almonds, cornmeal, and baking powder.
    • Combine the butter and sugar.
    • Alternate the dry mixture with the wet mixture, adding the eggs as you go.
    • Place batter in baking pan.
    • Bake.
    • Top warm cake with lemon syrup.

    Once cooled, remove the cake from the pan. Slice and enjoy. I added some icing sugar and sliced strawberries as a garnish, but honestly, this cake works perfectly as a stand-alone dessert.

    Add the lemon glaze to the warm polenta cake.

    Suggestions / Recipe Tips

    Be sure to use ground cornmeal for this recipe. Coarse cornmeal will produce a gritty texture in the cake.

    This recipe calls for caster sugar. In North America, we don’t have caster sugar, but what we do have is superfine sugar.

    If you have ever bought this before, you know how expensive it is for a small amount. Did you know you can make it at home? Yup, all you have to do is put regular granulated white sugar into your blender and turn it into caster sugar. So much cheaper than paying the high prices at the store for this baking ingredient.

    You can also do the same process for the ground almonds to make almond flour. Your blender is so useful when it comes to ingredients like this.

    Traditional Italian polenta cake recipe.

    Of course, if you don’t have a blender, you can buy ground almonds and superfine sugar at any grocery store or Bulk Barn if you have one near you.

    Store leftover cake in a cake container, or place it in a container that you can seal to prevent it from drying out. It will last about 4-5 days. You can also freeze it for longer storage. Be sure to wrap it well in plastic wrap.

    Is Cornmeal The Same As Polenta?

    • There can be some confusion about what polenta is. I grew up only knowing it as ground cornmeal.
    • The truth is, that polenta is a dish made of boiled cornmeal. In the south, it can be referred to as grits.
    • It can be found in several varieties like coarse, fine, and instant. Located in the baking section or rice section.
    • There is even a pre-cooked version. This can be found in a tube shape in the refrigerated section of the grocery store near the olives, dips, and specialty cheeses.
    • Besides the boiled version, you can serve it grilled or baked in both savory and sweet recipes. Polenta fries are always a hit. 
    • Polenta is cooked in salted water, similar to oatmeal and rice. 
    • It is a gluten-free grain.
    Soft and crumbly cake made with polenta.

    Need a few more lemon-inspired recipes to try? I have the perfect no-churn Easter ice cream recipe. The kids are going to love it.

    Once the hot summer days start to roll around, these lemon tea popsicles are sure to please. Adults love these fruit-filled treats.

    Since you will love this easy-to-make cake, give this classic coffee cake recipe a try too. A great cinnamon breakfast cake.

    Polenta cake pin image.Pin
    Lemon polenta cake topped with sugar.

    Lemon Polenta Cake

    Easy Lemon Polenta Cake is an Italian classic. This cake is made without flour, so it is gluten-free. Moist and crumbly dessert made with cornmeal and ground almonds.
    5 from 153 votes
    Pin Recipe Print Rate Save To Your Recipe Box Saved!
    Course: Cake, Dessert
    Cuisine: Baking, Italian, Mediterranean
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10 servings
    Calories: 454kcal
    Author: Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy

    Ingredients

    For the Cake:

    • 1 cup butter (softened)
    • 1 cup superfine sugar
    • 1 ¾ cups ground almonds
    • ¾ cup fine cornmeal polenta
    • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
    • 3 eggs
    • 1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest

    For the Syrup:

    • ½ cup lemon juice
    • ¾ cup icing sugar
    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350º F.
    • Line base of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease sides with butter.
    • Combine almonds, cornmeal and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.
    • In another bowl beat butter and superfine sugar until pale (I used a hand mixer).
    • To the butter/sugar mixture add some of the almond/cornmeal mixture, followed by 1 egg, and continue to beat.
    • Alternately add the almond/cornmeal mixture followed by an egg until it is all incorporated, beating the whole time.
    • Beat in the lemon zest.
    • Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes.
    • Test using a cake tester, the cake will be done, but might seem a bit “wobbly”, the cake should be shrinking away from the side of the pan.
    • Remove and set on a wire rack (leave the cake in the pan).
    • Make your simple syrup by combining the lemon juice and icing sugar in a small saucepan.
    • Bring to a boil and cook until all the sugar is dissolved.
    • Prick the top of the cake all over with a cake tester.
    • Pour the warm syrup over the cake.
    • Let cool completely before removing from tin.
    • Slice, and if desired garnish with powdered icing sugar and berries.

    Nutrition Information

    Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 182mg | Potassium: 150mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 640IU | Vitamin C: 5.9mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 1.4mg

    Notes

    This recipe was adapted from Nigella Lawson’s Lemon Polenta Cake
    Tried this recipe?Take a picture and tag @homemadeandyummy
    Nutritional information on this site is generated via a plugin. I am not responsible for the accuracy of the plugin information.

    More Cakes

    • The best banana cake ever.
      BEST Banana Cake Ever
    • Featured Image for Cinnamon Coffee Cake
      Best Cinnamon Coffee Cake
    • Easter Ukrainian Cheesecake ready to serve.
      Ukrainian Cheesecake (Easter Syrnyk)
    • The flavours of toffee and chocolate merge together to make this awesome Speckled Toffee Cake. Perfect for those special celebrations.|SPECKLED TOFFEE CAKE
      Speckled Toffee Cake

    MEET THE AUTHOR

    Gloria Duggan is the author for Homemade & Yummy, where she creates fun and easy recipes. She is also a brand ambassador/influencer for well-known companies. Gloria has judged food competitions and has posted about local food events. Gloria's work has been featured in magazines, and she has been interviewed on several podcasts. Read More…

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. JULIE ERBAN

      February 05, 2023 at 1:19 pm

      Can you use the tubed polenta in this recipe?

      Reply
      • Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy

        February 06, 2023 at 11:06 am

        I have never tried it, so I cannot say for sure it will work.

    2. Jamie

      February 08, 2021 at 2:04 am

      This cake has so much lemon flavor I’m in heaven! I love how the glaze gives it a beautiful sheen and the color is just gorgeous! I’m making this tomorrow for my family as we’re all lemon fans!

      Reply
      • Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy

        February 08, 2021 at 4:17 pm

        Well, I hope your family enjoys this lemon cake as much as we do. Simple yet so delicious.

    3. Naiby

      February 07, 2021 at 6:21 pm

      It seems anything with lemons is following me! I couldn’t agree more with having a blender, and a good quality one at that. You can save so much money by grinding things yourself. This recipe is worth a try. Thanks!

      Reply
      • Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy

        February 08, 2021 at 4:18 pm

        ENJOY….this lemon cake is a favourite in our house.

    4. Kushigalu

      February 07, 2021 at 11:59 am

      Lemon desserts are my family’s favorite. Love that the recipe is gluten free. Cake looks amazingly delicious. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy

        February 08, 2021 at 4:18 pm

        If you are a lemon lover, this dessert is right up your alley. ENJOY!

    « Older Comments
    5 from 153 votes (99 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Gloria headshot

    Hi, I'm Gloria! Homemade food should be tasty, easy and satisfying. Let me help you create food your family will love.

    More about me →

    Connect with me

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Recent Posts

    • Easy cauliflower coleslaw salad recipe.
      Cauliflower Coleslaw Salad
    • Flavoured mayo with sun-dried tomatoes and basil.
      Easy Flavoured Mayo
    • Summer grilled garlic scapes.
      Grilled Garlic Scapes
    • Smoked salmon salad with cucumber noodles.
      Smoked Salmon Salad

    Must Try Recipes

    • The best smoked salmon sandwich.
      Simple Smoked Salmon Sandwich
    • Pickled Eggs Featured Image
      Easy Classic Pickled Eggs Recipe
    • Apple Rose Puffs are such fun to make. Using puff pastry to create an easy and elegant dessert perfect for any occasion. | homemadeandyummy.com
      Apple Rose Puffs Easy Fancy Dessert
    • Mushroom Dill Pierogi Sauce on boiled pierogies.
      Pierogi Sauce (Mushroom Dill)

    Footer

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Brand Influencer
    • Work with Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Homemade & Yummy

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.