Citrus Cornmeal (Polenta) Cake
A gluten-free cake for summer evenings.
When I first had a slice of polenta cake, it was at a restaurant on Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn. The chef served it with creme fraiche ice cream and a drizzle of cherry-infused olive oil. Eating that while sitting on the patio, taking in the tail end of a summer day, I just smile.
Polenta cake is something so delightful that in Italy (the home of this treat), they call it Amor Polenta, literally love polenta. I may not be making it in the traditional mold, but this cake is something that I have grown to love. Obviously, I had to replicate that cake I had one summer eve in Brooklyn.
This cake is incredibly simple in terms of ingredients, but was deceptively hard to get just right. It took a whole lot of tries, several types of cornmeal, various flour combinations, and even the types of oil. But don’t worry. I did all of that so that you would not have to.
This cake is perfectly sweet, slightly fruity and just like the one I had in Brooklyn.
Cornmeal
The star ingredient of this cake, so you need make sure you are using the right kind. Well, the right grind. I use a medium grind cornmeal (Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free to be precise). I recommend measuring out the amount of cornmeal needed for the recipe and pulsing it in a food processor for 2 minutes. Why? You want to get it slightly broken down, resulting in cornmeal that is somewhere between fine and coarse ground cornmeal.
This gives you the right amount of toothsome texture that this cake is known for. Do you have to do this extra step? No, but, again, I recommend it.
You do not want to use instant polenta or fine ground cornmeal. Definitely not corn flour. You will risk making a pasty cake. Not exactly something anyone wants.
Olive Oil AND Butter
Why two types of fats? Well, why not. But seriously. Butter adds a richness to the flavor of this cake while olive oil ensures moisture even after the long baking time this cake needs. I have seen this cake made with either all olive oil or all butter. And I tried it both ways, but was not exactly satisfied with the results.
Can you use all olive oil? How about non-dairy butter? Yes to both. I personally like using the salted vegan butter from Miyokos since it tamps down the sweetness a little bit more.
Yogurt
Yogurt is the a magician when it comes to cakes. First rule: full fat or nothing. The fat from the yogurt helps to add moisture and tenderness to the resulting cake. Second, the cultures in the yogurt help to activate the leavening and help you double-down on tenderness.
Can you use a non-dairy yogurt? Yes, but make sure it is a thick, greek-style alternative. As an alternate, I used Forager’s Sour Cream Alternative as an alternative to full-fat yogurt and it was lovely.
Fruit
Do you have to use cherries? Nah. I just happen to enjoy the repetitive task of pitting cherries with a paring knife; so, I had them on hand. You can use any berry, a combination of berries, cored and chopped apricots, maybe some peaches. Or you can leave out the fruit all together. It really is up to you and what your preferences are. Whatever fruit you use, make sure to cut into dime to nickel-sized pieces and give them a light coating in sweet rice or arrowroot flour to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
Any fruits or mix-in’s to avoid? Nah I mean there really is no wrong answer here. I even tried it with chopped mango and it was bomb dot com. Not a fan of lemon? Use lime zest and juice? Maybe some orange zest and juice?
RECIPE
180g (1 cup) maple sugar (cane sugar or coconut sugar work)
1 tbsp lemon zest (usually enough from 1 medium lemon)
55g (1/4 cup) melted butter
55g (1/4 cup) olive oil
3 large eggs
150g (about 1 cup) full-fat greek yogurt (only full fat)
30g (about 3 tbsp) lemon juice
1/4 tsp almond or vanilla extract
135g (1 cup) almond flour
195g (1 cup) corn meal
68g (1/2 cup) arrowroot flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Optional: 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries, cherries, blueberries, really any fruit, tossed with flour
Preheat your oven to 350F and liberally grease a 9-inch springform pan with coconut oil and line the bottom with parchment paper. If you do not have a spring form pan, use a 9-inch round cake pan. It might be a smidge trickier to get out.
In medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Make sure to get any clumps of almond flour out.
In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest and sugar and let it sit for 15ish minutes to let the flavors meld. Seems extra, but trust me. Whisk in the melted butter, olive oil and lemon juice. Add the eggs, yogurt and extract (if using), and whisk until smooth and combined.
Add the dry mixture with a spatula until almost all the dry is incorporated into the wet. Add the fruit and mix until everything is combined and there are no pockets of flour.
Scrape and spread the batter into the prepared pan, keeping things even. If you feel fancy, top with additional fruit and sprinkle with cane sugar.
Bake for 55-75 minutes, until the edges are a deep golden brown and the center is soft, but springs back to the touch.
Let cool completely before releasing the side of the springform pan. Slice and serve with ice cream or runny yogurt.