Cherry and Polenta Cake
To me, there is something magical about having a great cake that you can slice up and serve to your family so you can see the delighted looks on their faces. This cherry and polenta cake is quite simple to make, yet the unique combination of textures, flavors, and aromas make it a perfect cake that doesn’t even need to be made for a celebration to enjoy.
Not in the mood for cherries? Well then this cake is also great with some fresh figs or summertime ripe plums.
(Edit: I know what you’re thinking and yes, it does somewhat look like pizza. Was not my intention.)
Serves 6
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of finely ground cornmeal or semolina flour
1 cup of flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
A pinch of salt
13 tablespoons of soft unsalted butter
3/4 cup of sugar
4 egg yolks
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 cup of pitted fresh cherries
2 tablespoons of packed brown sugar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9-inch, round springform cake pan. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until the butter is pale and creamy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go, it should take about 5 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time and beating well after each addition, then add the whole eggs the same way. Add the lemon zest and vanilla, beat to combine, and then add the flour mixture, then beat on low speed just until combined.
Spread the batter into an even layer in the prepared pan. Place the cherries on top, skin side down, making sure they are all in an even layer, and sprinkle on the brown sugar. Bake your cake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, then let it cool on the counter before slicing and serving.
No frosting, no fancy garnishes, just this wonderful cherry-polenta cake and me. Although I’m not going to call the cake police if you want to put a little whipped cream or something like that on there.
The polenta gives the cake a really interesting cornbread-like texture with that hint of lemon zest and vanilla to remind you that it’s a dessert, but then those cherries that baked on top of the cake come in to deliver tartness, sweetness, and a bit of a caramelized flavor. It’s a very easy but tasty cake that I would recommend you making as soon as possible.
