Posted on Friday, 27th April 2012 by Grace
For me, the best part of baking is the magnificent and inviting aroma lingering throughout the house. And it’s not just the amazing aroma that escapes from the oven when baking a cake like this Polenta Cake but it’s also the multitude of scents that come from preparing the ingredients too – freshly grated lemon or orange zest, the sweet smell of balsamic vinegar and brown sugar, toasted nuts, and the bold smell of fresh strawberries.
I think I feel this way because growing up, my home was always filled with a myriad of smells, freshly baked bread, homemade tomato sauce simmering on the stove perfumed with freshly picked basil, curing prosciutto, baked cannelloni, or the fruity smells of young wine escaping from the barrels housed in the wine cellar. Clearly, for me, it provides a feeling of comfort and most of all, love.
Wanting to share that feeling is probably why I enjoy entertaining as much as I do. As a child I watched my parents welcome people into our home on a regular basis, in fact, the house was always full. And it wasn’t just family and friends, a serviceman could be coming to fix the dryer and my parents would invite him to join us for lunch consisting of the typical Italian fare, freshly cut Italian meats, cheese, fresh bread and of course, a glass of wine. There was always room at the table.
Although they didn’t have a lot of money they were always generous and shared from the heart. Looking back I don’t know how they did it. They immigrated to Canada with seven children and shortly after arriving we welcomed my sister into the world. My mother didn’t start working until years later. And even then, caring for eight children, I’m sure, was no easy feat.
There’s an Italian proverb, “entri come amici, vada come familgia”, translated it means, “enter as friends, leave as family”. My parents had the exceptional ability for making everyone feel like part of our family.
The smell of freshly baked Polenta Cake is reminiscent of the aromas from my mother’s kitchen. I recall the wonderful scent of citrus and the familiar scent of toasted almonds and hazelnuts.
This buttery, nutty Cornmeal-Almond Cake is the type of cake I enjoyed growing up; I hope you’ll enjoy it too.
Cornmeal-Almond Cake {Polenta Cake} with Mascarpone Cream and Balsamic & Brown Sugar Strawberries
Adapted from
Makes 1 25-cm (10-inch) cake
- Cornmeal-Almond Cake {Polenta Cake}
- Mascarpone Cream
- Balsamic & Brown Sugar Strawberries
Cornmeal-Almond Cake {Polenta Cake}
- 354 g (3¼ cups) sliced & blanched almonds
- 50 g (1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon) all-purpose flour
- 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 183 g (¾ cup + 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 281 g (1¼ cups) caster (superfine) sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- Zest from 2 lemons or 1 large orange
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or orange juice
- 150 g (1¼ cups) Polenta (finely ground yellow cornmeal)
- Preheat oven to 180° C (350° F). Grease and line the bottom and sides of a 25-cm (10-inch) round baking tin with non-stick baking paper. Lightly grease and flour the paper, tapping out any excess.
- Spread the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet lined with non-stick baking paper. Bake until lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack and allow the almonds to cool completely. Transfer the almonds to the bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground.
- Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl. Whisk together to combine well. Using the sieve, sift for a second time holding the sieve high into the air onto a sheet of non-stick baking paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, 1 minute. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat at medium speed, scraping the sides and bottom of bowl as needed, until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the eggs and egg yolks, one at-a-time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl and beat at medium speed until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Beat in the zest and juice until combined.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and using a large, flexible spatula fold the flour mixture into the batter. Fold the cornmeal into the batter and then fold in the ground almonds.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking tin. Using an offset spatula spread the batter evenly to the sides of the baking tin. Bake until golden and a cake tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 50 minutes.
- Remove cake from oven and transfer to a wire rack allowing the cake to cool in the tin until room temperature. Remove the baking paper from the sides of the tin and if necessary run a thin knife around the sides to release the cake. Turn out the cake and return the cake (the top of the cake should be facing up) to the wire rack; allow the cake to cool completely.
Mascarpone Cream
- 240 ml (1 cup) heavy cream, 35%
- Seeds from one-half vanilla been or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 125 g (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) mascarpone cheese, room temperature
- 16 g (2 tablespoons) confectioners’ sugar
- In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat the heavy cream and vanilla seeds until soft peaks form.
- Add the mascarpone and confectioners’ sugar and beat until barely firm peaks form.
Balsamic & Brown Sugar Strawberries
- 1 quart fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
- 45 ml (3 tablespoons) balsamic vinegar
- 52 g (¼ cup) light brown sugar
- Wash the berries; hull and slice in half.
- In a medium bowl, stir the vinegar and brown sugar together until the sugar dissolves and becomes syrup.
- Add the strawberries and toss to evenly coat.
- Cover and allow the berries to macerate in the syrup, 1 hour.
- Toss the berries and serve.
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Tags: after school treat, afternoon tea, almonds, balsamic, cake, cake fillings, cake toppings, cakes, cornmeal, dessert, dessert fillings, dessert topping, desserts, food, food photography, food photos, fruit, fruit desserts, Italian Cake, Italian Cakes, Italian dessert, Italian desserts, mascarpone, Summer desserts
Posted in Baking & Pastry, Baking Mise en Place, Custards, Creams & Mousses, Fillings, Frostings & Dessert Sauces, Pastry Doughs & Batter, Recipes
Comments (5)
April 27th, 2012 at 2:23 pm
Wow!! What a great cake!! And all of these ah-mazing flavors!!
April 27th, 2012 at 3:09 pm
Beautiful cake!
April 27th, 2012 at 4:33 pm
I love that this is a childhood memory raiser for you – I would like to make memories with this cake since it looks so nice
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
April 28th, 2012 at 3:13 am
Mascarpone and berries = Yum!
April 28th, 2012 at 3:19 am
What an amazing mom you have to have raised 8 children and be a good baker and hostess on top of that!