Vibrant Lemon Polenta Cake

Name: Vibrant Lemon Polenta Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 1 cake
Ingredients: 1 cup butter ((softened)); 1 cup superfine sugar; 1 3/4 cups ground almonds; 3/4 cup fine cornmeal (polenta); 1 1/2 tsp baking powder; 3 eggs; 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest; 1/2 cup lemon juice; 3/4 cup icing sugar

September 14, 2016 By Homemade & Yummy 58 Comments (I EARN COMMISSION FROM PURCHASES MADE VIA PRODUCT LINKS IN THIS POST)

Vibrant Lemon Polenta Cake is a delicious, elegant, gluten free dessert. Simple and refined, the perfect way to end a meal.

I love lemon desserts, especially lemon curd. Tangy with a bit of sweetness. Perfect for pies, tarts, muffins, and parfaits. This Lemon Polenta Cake is so moist and flavourful, and you will never believe how easy it is to make.

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.

Today I find more creative ways to use cornmeal, and this Vibrant Lemon Polenta Cake has got to be our favourite so far. Both my husband and I rate lemon meringue pie at the top or our dessert list. Since making this cake, it seems like this is a very, very close second.

I get a lot of inspiration from celebrity chefs. Watching them on cooking shows, collecting their cookbooks and following them on social media. Nigella Lawson is a fun person to watch in the kitchen. Her Lemon Polenta Cake sounded so good I just had to give it a try.

This cake is so easy to make. What a bonus since it is gluten free too. What a great dessert to have in my repertoire for when my gluten free friends come over for dinner. Simple and elegant, this is the perfect way to end a great meal.

In the recipe, you will notice it 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. Your blender is so useful when it comes to ingredients like this. 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.

For this recipe, you will need a springform pan. That way it is much easier to get the baked cake out of the pan. Basically mix the ingredients, place in the pan and bake. Simple and easy, but the results are outstanding.

While the cake is baking, you make a simple syrup with lemon juice and sugar. When the cake is done, you pour the warm simple syrup over the top to create a shiny sweet surface.

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.

If you are looking for an elegant yet easy dessert, this Vibrant Lemon Polenta Cake has to be a must try on your list. Impress your guests, they never need to know how easy this dessert is to make.

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