Lemon and Rhubarb Polenta Cake
Lemon Polenta Cake
This makes the best Easter centrepiece!
Serves 10 (GF)
Ingredients:
100g quick-cook polenta
200g ground almonds
2 tbsp rice flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Zest of 2 large lemons
200g soft unsalted butter, cut into cubes
220g caster sugar
3 medium eggs, beaten lightly together
1 tsp orange blossom water
Icing sugar for dusting
For the rhubarb topping:
350g forced pink rhubarb, chopped into 5cm pieces
2 tbsp unrefined caster sugar
Juice 1/2 lemon
For the syrup:
The leftover juice from the baked rhubarb
Juice from 2 lemons
2 tbsp unrefined caster sugar
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees. Grease and line a 9-inch cake tin with baking parchment.
Measure out the first 5 ingredients into a bowl and mix them together. In a separate bowl beat the butter and sugar with an electric handheld whisk until light and fluffy. This will take about 5 mins. Slowly whisk in the beaten egg a little at a time whilst also adding in the dry mix until everything is well combined.
Lastly, add in the orange blossom water and use a spatula to scrape everything into the cake tin and into the oven for 35-40 minutes. Insert a skewer and it should come out fairly clean and leave to cool.
Just before the cake is ready line a tray with baking parchment and add the chopped rhubarb with the sugar + lemon juice. Mix everything together and place it into the oven above the cake for about 10 minutes until they are lightly cooked and soft. Remove from the oven and place the rhubarb pieces onto a plate and save the juice to scrape into a small saucepan.
Add the rest of the ingredients for the syrup to the pan and bring to a boil and then down to a simmer for 5mins to reduce. Remove from the heat. Carefully remove the cake from the tin and use a cocktail stick to pierce a few small holes in the top of the cake.
Pour the warm syrup over the cake and leave to come to room temperature. Dust the top with icing sugar and then arrange the cooled rhubarb pieces on top. Serve with a dollop of crème fraîche.