Almond Polenta Cake with Elderflower Honey Glaze

 

When the urge to bake arises, this simple cake with a moist but slightly crunchy texture can be made and eaten within 2 hours. It is a sweeter cousin of cornbread; incidentally it’s also gluten–free. The glaze contains a bit of liqueur, but the alcohol burns off when heating it…so it’s ok for the kiddos too!

Recipe inspired by Nigel Slater

1 cup butter, room temperature (more to grease the pan)

1 cup sugar
2 2/3 cup almond meal (Trader Joe’s is best bet!)
3 eggs
1 ¼ cup corn meal or polenta
1 ½ tsp baking powder
zest and juice of one lemon
 
For the Glaze:
juice of two lemons
4 tbsp honey
2/3 cup elderflower liqueur (Thatcher’s or St. Germain brands are good)
 
To Serve:
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp cream or milk
Fresh berries

Prepare an 8” or 9” spring form pan and rub all sides and bottom with butter, then line the bottom with a round piece of parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the butter and sugar together in a standing mixer for 2 minutes, scraping the sides to incorporate evenly. Next pour in the almond meal and mix evenly. Mix the eggs in one at a time. (A good tip: break eggs into small bowl before pouring into mixer to avoid shells) In another bowl, mix the corn meal or polenta with the baking powder. Fold it into the mixture and then add lemon zest and lemon juice.

Transfer the cake mix into the lined pan and smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn the heat down to 325 degrees and turn the cake for even baking. Bake another 25 minutes.

To make the glaze, squeeze the lemon juice into a small saucepan. Add the elderflower liqueur and honey and bring to a boil for about 5-8 minutes. It should have the consistency of a thin syrup.

When the cake is still hot out of the oven, evenly pour the glaze over the cake. Let cake cool. Slice into pieces and serve with yogurt thinned with some cream and some berries.