little lemon polenta cakes

little lemon polenta cakes

• 5 Dec 2011

I made this sweet little cakes a few weeks ago but haven't had a chance to show them on the blog. I used a recipe by Manna from Heaven.



I'd just bought some pistachios and decided to pretty up the cakes with a little splash of green.



I only used half the recipe but it still made lots of these little cakes. I was meeting a friend for lunch and took a few with me and still managed to take plenty to work the next day.



These little cakes have loads of flavour and an interesting texture and best of all, they're gluten free.

Here's the original recipe for you.
LEMON POLENTA CAKE
225 g (8 oz) butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing 
225 g (8 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
3 55 g eggs, lightly beaten 
110 g (4 oz) ground almonds 
110 g (4 oz) shredded coconut (long thread) 
110 g (4 oz) fine polenta 
finely grated zest of 2 lemons 
2½ tbsp lemon juice (2 small lemons) 
1 tsp baking powder 
1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Icing

225 g (8 oz) icing (confectioners) sugar, sieved

2–3 tsp lemon juice

Method
Set the oven to 150°C (300°F). Grease and line a 24 cm (9 ½inch) round cake tin. Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer for 2 minutes, or until lump free (the mixture does not need to be light and fluffy). Slowly beat in the eggs, then fold in the ground almonds, coconut, polenta, lemon zest, lemon juice, baking powder and vanilla. Pour into the cake tin and use the back of a spoon to spread the mixture and flatten the top. Bake for 30–50 minutes, or until the cake is golden and just coming away from the side of the tin. Cool in the tin then turn out onto a serving plate.

For the icing, mix the sugar and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth. Spoon over the cake, letting the icing dribble down the sides a little. Leave the icing to set before gobbling up with your friends.

Variation: you can make this cake as 24 small cakes using mini muffin trays or silicone flexipans. Bake for 20–30 minutes, or until golden.

I've had a really busy weekend and next weekend will more of the same. I've been out and about, baking and photographing like crazy so hope to bring you a full week of Christmas baking treats in the week leading up to Christmas.

See you all again soon,

Jillian