This Strawberry Polenta Cake Is a Simple (Yet Impressive-Looking) Summer Dessert

This lemony polenta cake is the perfect treat to share at a summer gathering. Topped with toasted almonds and ruby red strawberries, it looks impressive, but it’s delightfully simple to make. The moist, tender cake is wonderful on its own, but you could certainly dress it up more with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dusting of powdered sugar.

(Related: 16 Strawberry Recipes That’ll Sweeten Up Your Summer)

Strawberry Polenta Cake

Serves 8 

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• ½ cup medium- grind cornmeal, spooned and leveled
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ cup cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• ¾ cup whole milk Greek yogurt
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1½ cups small strawberries, halved
• ¼ cup sliced almonds

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly oil a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and lemon zest. Add the yogurt, olive oil, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract and whisk to combine.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and top with the strawberries and almonds. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before slicing and serving.

Excerpted from Love and Lemons: Simple Feel Good Food  by Jeanine Donofrio. Copyright © 2023 Jeanine Donofrio. Photographs © 2023 by Eva Kolenko . Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

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