La Copine's Lemon Polenta Cake
- Share via
This is the cake that came before, and inspired, our chocolate almond cake. It is bright, lemony and reminiscent of a moist lemon pound cake mixed with a touch of cornbread. The almond meal and corn flour give amazing tenderness and moisture with a delightful toasted-corn polenta aroma. We add lemon zest to the cake batter and make a tart lemon glaze to drizzle over the top. It is a wonderful cake any time of year; it feels light and happy, like a golden ray of sunshine came to brighten your day.
Griddle toasting the slices like we do at La Copine will not only make the cake warm and inviting, it will simultaneously bring out the nuttiness of the almond and corn and help make all of the flavors more pronounced. Fresh raspberries, toasted almonds and, of course, crème fraîche together absolutely complement this cake and will turn it into your favorite slice of summer — or evoke the feeling of summer on a less than sunshiny cold winter’s day.
For the lemon glaze: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, water and lemon zest. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter and sugar are melted and bubbly.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice and arrowroot starch to make a slurry. Whisk the slurry into the bubbling butter-sugar mixture and cook, whisking rapidly, until the sauce thickens to a glaze, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the glaze cool. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 month.
For the lemon polenta cake: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray, or drizzle with sunflower oil, and line the pan with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond meal, corn flour, baking powder, arrowroot starch and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the sugar, butter and lemon zest and beat on medium speed until lightened and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Lower the mixer speed to low and spoon in one-third of the dry ingredients, followed by 2 of the eggs and mix until combined. Add another one-third of the dry ingredients, then the remaining 3 eggs, and mix until fully combined, then add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix again until combined, then turn the mixer to high speed and whip the cake batter for 10 seconds. Stop the mixer, then, using a silicone spatula, scrape the paddle and bottom of the bowl to ensure the batter is mixed evenly.
Scoop the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top. Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the baking pan 180 degrees and continue baking for 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the baking pan to a wire rack and let cool completely. You can cut and serve the cake after cooling, or wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to portion and griddle just before serving.
Heat a cast-iron griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cut the cake into eight large rectangles, then add a teaspoon or two of sunflower oil to the griddle (work in batches if using a skillet). Heat each slice until it is lightly seared, then flip them over and heat the other side until lightly browned and toasted, 4 to 6 minutes total.
Transfer the cake slices to serving plates. Top each with a spoonful of lemon glaze, followed by a dollop of crème fraîche, a small handful of raspberries and a sprinkle of the toasted sliced almonds.
