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.
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?
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.
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
Lemon Polenta Cake
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
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.
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.