LEMON POLENTA CAKE (no raising agents)
INGREDIENTS
- 65 grams flaked almonds
- 200 g butter – at room temperature
- 275 g (1.25c) caster sugar
1 T finely grated lemon rind
3 eggs
225g (1.5c) SR (or xchange for some ground almond meal) - 75 g (.5c) fine polenta* (or cornmeal) or add almond meal here?
- .5c (125 ml) lemon juice
- Oil & line 20cm round cake tin & the base lightly with butter then baking paper.
Spread the almonds onto non stick frypan on low heat and 2-3 mins til lightly golden and spread evenly over base of tin. Preheat oven to 160°C FF. - Using electric beaters, beat the butter, sugar & rind til pale and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Gently fold in the flour, polenta & lemon juice until just combined.
- Place mixture into tin by large spoonfuls, so the almonds on the base don’t move around too much. Carefully smooth the surface of the mixture.
Bake 50-55 mins til a skewer comes out clean. Leave in tin 5 mins then invert onto a wire rack to cool.NOTES * You can soak more coarse polenta for a less gritty feel to the teeth once cooked –
To pre-soak: Combine water with cornmeal in a large mixing bowl and let stand, covered, at room temperature overnight. When ready to cook, scrape soaked cornmeal and water into a large saucepan and set over high heat. Buttermilk is even better as the slight
alkilinity breaks down the enzymes in the corn.IF ALSO ADDING ALMOND MEAL, DO THIS INSTEAD AT 2b: (Nigella’s – note she adds a syrup after cooked too)
If combining both almond meal & polenta, mix together and beat some of this into the butter-sugar mixture then followed by 1 egg, then alternate dry ingredients and eggs, beating all the while, then beat in the lemon zest and pour, spoon or scrape the mixture into your prepared tin and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes.
- Oil & line 20cm round cake tin & the base lightly with butter then baking paper.
