Lemon Almond Polenta Cake 

Adapted from Nigella Lawson's recipe for Lemon Polenta Cake. This cake comes together super quickly and is VERY moist from the addition of the honey/lemon mixture.

INGREDIENTS

Makes: 12-14 slices

FOR THE CAKE

  • 200 grams soft unsalted butter or olive oil if dairy free (plus some for greasing)
  • 150 grams organic sugar
  • 200 grams almond flour
  • 100 grams fine polenta (or cornmeal) ensure it is super fine, blend in Vitamix as needed
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder -ensure it is gluten free if needed
  • 3 large eggs
  • zest of 2 lemons (save juice for syrup)

FOR THE SYRUP

  • juice of 2 lemons
  • 2 - 3 TBSP honey

METHOD

  1. Line the base of a 23cm/9 inch springform cake pan with parchment paper and grease the sides lightly with butter or oil.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  3. Beat the butter and sugar till pale and whipped, either by hand in a bowl with a wooden spoon, or using a mixer.
  4. Mix together the almond flour, polenta and baking powder, and beat some of this into the butter-sugar mixture, followed by 1 egg, then alternate dry ingredients and eggs, beating all the while.
  5. Finally, beat in the lemon zest and pour, spoon or scrape the mixture into your prepared pan and bake in the oven for about 40 minutes.
  6. It may seem wobbly but, if the cake is cooked, a cake tester should come out cleanish and, most significantly, the edges of the cake will have begun to shrink away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven to a wire cooling rack, but leave in its pan.
  7. Make the syrup by mixing the lemon juice and honey in a smallish bowl.
  8. Prick the top of the cake all over with a cake tester, pour the syrup over the cake, and leave to cool before taking it out of its pan. This cake only gets more moist by the next day. Which is fabulous.