Vibrant Lemon Polenta Cake is a delicious, elegant, gluten-free dessert. Simple and refined, the perfect way to end a meal. If you have never tried a polenta cake recipe, this is a great place to start. Made with cornmeal (also known as polenta), almond flour and topped with a sweet and tart lemon syrup.
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. With all the cornmeal I had as a child, my mom never made polenta cake.
Today I find more creative ways to use cornmeal, and this Vibrant Lemon Polenta Cake has got to be our favourite so far. I really was impressed with this baked polenta dessert. 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.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON POLENTA CAKE
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 cake sounded so good I just had to give it a try. I mean how can you NOT want to try her delicious recipes?
I was so impressed with how easy it was to make this Italian polenta cake recipe. 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.
- Heat the oven and prepare a *springform baking pan.
- Juice the lemons using a *citrus reamer.
- Zest the lemons with a *microplane.
- Combine the almonds, cornmeal and baking powder.
- Combine the butter and sugar.
- Alternate the dry mixture with the wet mixture, adding in the eggs as you go.
- Bake
- Top warm cake with lemon syrup.
This polenta cake 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.
The hardest part of the incredible polenta cake is WAITING TO EAT IT!
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.
WHAT IS POLENTA?
There can be some confusion on what POLENTA actually is. I grew up only knowing CORNMEAL. In the south GRITS is very common. Complicate things by adding COARSE, MEDIUM and FINE grind to the mix.
This great article by epicurious explains things very nicely. Did you know polenta is actually an Italian “dish” that sort of resembles porridge? Wow, so my childhood memories of boiled cornmeal were on track!!
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. Your guests just might be surprised you can use polenta in sweet recipes too.
Do YOU have a FAVOURITE polenta recipe?
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Vibrant Lemon Polenta Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 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
For the Syrup:
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 3/4 cup icing sugar
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.
- ENJOY!
Toon
this is a great cake recipe. As I did not have enough almond powder, I added coconut rasp. Tasted delicious 🙂
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Thanks so much for the link to my recipe. I have shared your post on social media.
Shannon
I had no idea polenta could be used for a dessert cake! And I love the tip about the superfine sugar. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This is one easy and elegant cake for sure. Hope you give it a try.
Amanda Mason
My daughter loves sweet lemon desserts and she is going to LOVE this one! I love that cornmeal is in this recipe! Looks amazing! I can’t wait to try this recipe!!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This is a lemon lovers dream dessert for sure.
Nicole
Never heard of a polenta cake! It looks incredibly delicious and most.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Hope you give this recipe a try to see how delicious this cake really is.
Julie
I have SO MUCH CORNMEAL at home right now and wasn’t sure what to do with all of it. This is the perfect recipe!!!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This is the perfect place to use some. ENJOY!
Charity
I’ve got a bag of lemons in the fridge that are getting overly ripe. Seems like a great excuse to make this cake!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
I would say this is the perfect place for sure. ENJOY!
Amy @ Two Healthy Kitchens
This looks so summery! (Which I could seriously use, in these last few weeks of Ohio winter!) I love polenta, but I don’t think I’ve ever used it in a dessert! I can’t wait to try this! 🙂
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This was my first time at making a polenta cake. It is so good. Hope you give it a try.
Jenni LeBaron
I don’t think I’ve ever tried a polenta cake, but I love all of the flavors here and this dish. It’s one of those dishes that looks so simple to put together but packs a flavor punch!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
YES you are totally correct. Hope you give this recipe a try.
Dominique | Perchance to Cook
I have never thought to use polenta to make a cake before! How unique and delicious! This cake looks so moist and fluffy too. I can’t wait to try it!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Hope you enjoy this cake as much as we do.
Anne Lawton
I love the idea of using corn meal in this cake, and of course all of that lemon! This just might be on my Easter Dinner table this year!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This is one easy and elegant cake. Perfect for entertaining.
Toni
This looks really amazing!!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Thanks so much. Hope you give it a try.
Denise
This is something I have never tried, but boy I want to now. Its sounds delicious, and the fact that its lemon is just a bonus!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
If you are a lemon lover, this is for YOU!! Hope you give this recipe a try.
Carrie | Clean Eating Kitchen
This looks like the perfect Spring time cake with all those beautiful citrus flavors! I’ve never made a polenta cake before, but the texture looks so good! Look forward to trying this!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
The first time I made this cake, I was totally blown away. It is so delicious. Filled with lemony flavour.
Amanda
That is my kind of cake! The crumb on this looks absolutely fantastic. Polenta is a staple in my pantry, so I love that I can whip up a cake like this whenever the craving strikes. The almonds and lemon must give it such a wonderful flavor too–so perfect for spring entertaining!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This cake is so delicious. If you are a lemon lover, this is for you. ENJOY!
Megan @ MegUnproessed
I love polenta! I’ve never thought to use it for cake!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Hope you give this delicious recipe a try. You will be blown away!!
Trish Bozeman
Ooooh what a perfect dessert for early spring! I would probably devour this entire cake haha! Thanks for the tip about superfine sugar. I’m not much of a baker, so I’ve had a container of super fine sugar in our cupboard for what seems like forever. Now I know to just grind the regular sugar, thank you!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
YES make your own…so much cheaper. Hope you enjoy this recipe.
Jori
As I read your recipe, I realised that I’ve actually had this before. I just never put it together that it was made of polenta. This sounds super yummy and we’re big polenta fans so will probably give it a go this weekend!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
We love this recipe. Such an easy and even elegant dessert to serve to dinner guests.
Maman de sara
I only use cornmeal to make cornbread. I can’t wait to use it to make this cake. Thanks for sharing.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
You are missing out on the whole “savoury cake” deal…you gotta give it a try.
Lathiya
The lemon polenta cake looks so vibrant and moist. I’m sure it have a vibrant taste of bursting lemon flavor
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
It is so delicious…give it a try and see.
Dana
I had no idea you could use polenta in baked goods! (That’s how advanced *I* am with baking, haha.) This cake looks so spongy, bouncy, moist, and incredible. I’m a sucker for lemon desserts, too. Sweet, refreshing, and subtly tart <3
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This cake ticks all the boxes. You gotta try it to believe it.
April
I enjoy polenta anywhere and any time! So having another recipe to try makes me really happy. And yes, it is hard to imagine life without a blender – I use it so often that I could almost say I use it every time I cook!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This cake is so delicious. The perfect lemon dessert.
Mimi
Such a great looking cake – just perfect for celebrating a special day. And great tip on the caster sugar – I agree, it is cheaper and easier!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Yes, if you have a great blender, making caster sugar is a breeze.
Sean@Diversivore
I’ve been wanting to make a polenta cake for quite a while now, but I think this is the one that has me REALLY interested. Like you, I’m a huge fan of lemon desserts. Ever since I found out I could make lemon curd in my vitamix I’ve been having to hold myself back from overindulging. I’m loving the crumb on this delightful, versatile treat too. Cheers!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
OMG I was blown away the first time I made this cake. SO delicious. The perfect balance of sweet and savoury!! You really need to give it a try.
Jacqueline Debono
We eat a lot of polenta here in Northern Italy but mostly as a side dish either grilled or like a puree! I’ve never tried polenta cake but I like polenta and I love lemon desserts so am sure I’ll love this cake too!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Give this a try. It is so delicious and a great way to enjoy polenta.
Heather
What a moist looking cake! I normally use polenta in savory ways, but never thought of making a sweet dish with it. I am totally convinced now and can’t wait to try this cake 🙂
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This was my first time…and I was totally blown away.
Eileen Kelly
Such a flavorful cake and I love using polenta in this cake! This is such a great recipe for a delicious dessert! A great cake to bring to family gatherings, I think it would travel very well!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This is a hit with the guests for sure.
Marisa F. Stewart
It’s taken a while to appreciate the deliciousness of polenta cake but I’m a huge fan!! And lemon? Love the taste! I love to add lemon zest to just about everything. Adds such a fresh, clean taste. Also polenta cake isn’t overly sweet — that is a huge plus for me. This makes the perfect afternoon treat with a cup of coffee or tea.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
We were blown away at how delicious this cake is. So easy to make too.
Lois Christensen
I’ve never had polenta anything! But I love lemon and this recipe looks so refreshing and delicious!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Give this a try. You will be surprised at how delicious it is.
Linda
I love polenta and always have it with something savory until someone baked this last week and I’m in love. Thanks for sharing it here because I now can make it, too!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
ENJOY…we LOVE this cake.
Sophia
Wow, a lemon polenta cake! What a unique idea. And I love your tip for making your own caster sugar. I had no idea you could do that. Thank you!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Making caster sugar is easy. So is the polenta cake recipe.
Danielle Wolter
i am seriously in love with all things lemon. this cake sound just incredible! i will have to check out the superfine sugar, never used it before. this is def something i need to try!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Superfine sugar is so easy to make. Hope you give this recipe a try soon.
Arlene Mobley
Lemon desserts are the best. It is one of my favorite dessert flavors this time of year.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
I know…it certainly is a delicious way to ring in SPRING!
Julie Menghini
I’ve never had polenta cake but this one looks so moist and delicious. I’ve make a cheesy polenta and I can’t wait to try this recipe., lemon is one of my very favorites. The hubby usually asked for Lemon Meringue Pie for his birthday. My Italian Father-In-Law is going to love this cake!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Well my grandson has asked for lemon pie this year. Makes me happy!!
Daniela
Oooh! This lemon polenta cake is like Spring on a plate! And I love that is gluten-free! Just perfect for an Easter celebration or even for Mother’s Day brunch. I can’t wait to make it!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
YES this would for sure be awesome for Mother’s Day brunch. ENJOY!
Sophie
Love the vibrant color of this cake. Never thought polenta can be used in sweet cakes too. Thank you for sharing
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
It sure can…hope you give this recipe a try.
Debra
Um…where have all the sweet polenta recipes been hiding all my life? We love polenta, but have only tried it in savory recipes. I can’t wait to make this cake.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
I’m sure you will be impressed with a sweet polenta dish. ENJOY!