I've been fascinated with the idea of polenta lemon cake for a while now so I decided to give it a try. And, being Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB), meaning not wanting to use refined flour in it, it took me several attempts to come up with something we liked.
Join us to hear more.
In the trial... and error... of developing this recipe, we wanted to include some form of fat to facilitate the absorption of fat soluble nutrients like vitamin E. And wanting the fat to be in something close to the whole form we tried cut almonds.
That produced a very chunky texture, so we also tried almond milk to see what the cake would be like if it was smooth. And, lo and behold, we actually like the chunky texture better. So, we got a more whole food form of fat and a texture that we really like.
Unlike most cakes that are baked, this polenta cake is cooked on the stove top, relying on the starch in the polenta to firm it. So, once the polenta is cooked and the almonds, dates and lemon added, I just pour that into a cake pan and let it solidify. Once firm, I turn it upside down on a plate and it's ready to serve.
We love the simplicity of this cake, only four ingredients and quick to make. And it lends itself well to adding some fresh or frozen fruit to it once the polenta is cooked. Cherries work great, apples are nice. Be creative and have fun with it.
Also, since the cake is turned upside down when you remove it from the pan, you can line the pan with fruit or almonds that then are on the top of the cake when it is removed.
Give it a try and let us know what you think.
To your Amazing Health,
Connie and Bill
Chunky Polenta Lemon Cake
- 10 dates
- 1/3 cup almonds
- 1 cup polenta
- 3 cups water
- ¼ cup lemon juice
Add water to a medium sauce pan on high.
While water is heating, add dates and almonds to a food processor and process to a medium chunkiness.
When water boils, slowly add polenta (to avoid clumps) while stirring constantly.
Once the polenta is stirred in, add the almonds, dates and lemon juice.
Continue to stir the polenta to avoid it sticking and burning to the bottom.
After the polenta has thickened, 7-10 minutes, pour into cake pan and let cool.
When cool, refrigerate for several hours to thicken completely.
After fully cooled and thick, place a plate over the top of the cake pan and flip it over to drop the cake onto the plate.
Serve as is, or top with fresh fruit or jam.
Optional: Add fresh or frozen fruit like cherries or apples once the polenta has cooked.
And you can put sliced fruit or almonds on the bottom of the pan to create an upside-down cake look to it.