This cake is delightfully simple and deliciously lemon-y. It’s light and makes an excellent afternoon snack or sweet breakfast. Have it with a hot cup of milky tea for a truly delightful experience. The recipe was originally written by Nigella Lawson and has been a favorite of my friends and family for several years.
I really enjoy Nigella Lawson’s philosophy about gluten free food, even if I don’t wholeheartedly agree with it. She believes that the best gluten free recipes are those that are created without the constraint of needing to be gluten free but are that way because that’s the most delicious way to make the food. It has certainly yielded a delicious cake, so there’s absolutely something to her philosophy. Sometimes, though, you do just need a good (gluten free) doughnut.
Ingredients
- Butter, salted or unsalted (I like using salted) and softened to room temperature
- Granulated sugar or, if you can find it, caster sugar
- Almond flour
- Finely ground polenta or a corn meal such as Pan
- Baking powder
- Eggs, room temperature if possible
- Lemons
- Powdered sugar
Equipment
- One 10-inch cake pan
- Hand mixer or stand mixer
- Microplane or other fine grater for zesting the lemons
Method
Preheat the oven to 350oF, then prep your pan and ingredients.
Wash and then zest and juice both lemons.
Optional 2nd step: combine the lemon zest with the sugar and rub between your fingers to distribute the lemon zest and release the oils for a more fragrant cake.
Trace the bottom of a 10-inch cake pan onto a sheet of parchment paper and cut the circle out. Butter the cake pan and then place the parchment paper circle on the bottom, pressing down so that it sticks to the butter.
Weigh out your flours into a medium bowl, add the baking powder and salt, and whisk to combine.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the lemon zest, butter, and sugar together until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add one egg to the butter mixture and beat until combined, then add roughly 1/3 of the flour mixture. When the flour has mostly incorporated, repeat the process, alternating egg and flour until both are fully incorporated. The batter will be thick and look slightly rough from the polenta and almond flour.
Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out so it touches all the edges and the surface is flat and even.
Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
When the cake comes out of the oven, make the lemon syrup. Combined the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and heat until the powdered sugar dissolves completely, whisking to break up any clumps.
Poke holes in the cake with a toothpick (see the pattern of holes below), then gently pour the syrup over the cake, making sure to coat the entire surface. It might look like there’s too much liquid on the cake, but the syrup will completely soak into the cake over the course of a minute or two.
Wait to remove the cake from the pan until it is entirely cool. Slide a knife around the edge to release the cake, then lay a piece of seran wrap over the top and flip the cake pan over. Peel the parchment paper off the bottom of the cake, then place on a serving plate. Enjoy!
Nigella’s Lemon Polenta Cake
This cake is delightfully simple and deliciously lemon-y. It's light and makes an excellent afternoon snack or sweet breakfast. Have it with a hot cup of milky tea for a truly delightful experience.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Line the bottom of a 9 inch cake pan with parchment paper and grease the sides. Set aside.
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Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and set aside.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest together until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.
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Add one egg and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add half of the flour mixture and beat until combined. Repeat with the rest of the eggs and flour mixture, alternating between the eggs and flour for each addition.
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Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
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While the cake is cooling, combine the lemon juice and powdered sugar together in a small saucepan. Heat over med-low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, then remove from the heat.
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Using a toothpick or skewer, poke holes in the cake 1-1.5 inches apart, then gently pour the syrup over the cake. Let cool completely, then remove from the pan and serve.