Honey Citrus Polenta Cake Recipe

a slice of polenta cake on a white plate with strawberries

5 from 5 votes

Honey Citrus Polenta Cake Recipe

Honey Citrus Polenta Cake is an easy treat whose simple elegance makes it perfect for any occasion. Warm citrus and honey syrup keeps the cake moist, and the blend of polenta and almond flour give this tender cake a pleasant crumbly texture.

Prep Time30

Cook Time55

Total Time1 25

Course: Dessert

Keyword: cake, easy dessert recipe, gluten free, summer dessert

Servings:

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $6.00

Equipment

8-inch Cake Pan
Parchment Paper
Stand Mixer
Mixing Bowl
Saucepan

Ingredients

For the Cake:

1 cup butter, softened (220 g)
1 1/4 cup sugar (220 g)
3 cups almond flour (300 g)
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 navel orange, zest and juice
1 cup polenta (150 g)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (see note)

For the Syrup:

2 lemons, juice
2 navel oranges, juice
4 Tablespoons honey

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F / 180 C.
Line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and spray it lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
In a standing mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy. Add the almond flour to the mixer and beat on low until just combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low between each egg. Add vanilla, orange juice and zest and mix on low until evenly combined. The batter will be lumpy.
In a seperate small bowl, whisk together the polenta, baking powder, and ground cardamom. Add these ingredients to the batter and mix on low just until no dry spots remain.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes, and then reduce the oven's heat to 320 degrees F (160 degrees C) and bake for another 25 -30 minutes or until the cake is firm and deep golden brown on top.
To make the syrup, squeeze the lemon and orange juices into a stainless steel saucepan, bring to a boil and add the honey, stirring to combine. Keep the liquid boiling until it has formed a thin syrup (4-5 minutes).
Using a bamboo skewer, poke holes into the top of the cake (still warm and in its pan) with a skewer then spoon the hot citrus syrup evenly over the top. Leave in the pan until completely cool and then invert the pan over a plate or cutting board to remove the cake.
Cake can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Notes

Generously adapted from Nigel Slater's recipe in the Observer and discovered thanks to this beautiful blog post on Rachel Eats. Nigel Slater's original recipe advises that you use 12 whole cardamom pods for this recipe. Crush them and grind the extracted black seeds for a more deeply complex cardamom flavor than you will get with the pre-ground variety. Cardamom does not retain its intense flavor for as long as some spices, so I too would recommend grinding your own, although I would argue this cake is every bit worth making even if you prefer to skip that step.

Nutrition