Polenta Breakfast Cake with Honey-Citrus Syrup
Ingredients
Directions
Polenta Cake
1 ½ c
Gluten-Free Whole Grain Flour Blend
1 c
almond meal
1 c
finely ground polenta or cornmeal
½ tsp
xanthan gum
1 c
finely chopped natural almonds (brown skins on)
1 c
(2 sticks) unsalted butter or Earth Vegan Buttery Sticks, at room temperature
1 c
organic cane sugar
2 tsp
organic orange zest
3
eggs or Flax Egg Replacer, at room temperature
½ c
freshly squeezed orange juice, at room temperature
2 tsp
pure vanilla extract
12
whole natural almonds (brown skins on), for garnish
Honey-Citrus Syrup
juice of 2 lemons
juice of 2 oranges
2 tbsp
raw honey or maple syrup
Gluten-Free Whole Grain Flour Blend
2 c
sweet sorghum flour
1 c
white rice flour
1 c
potato starch (not flour)
Polenta Breakfast Cake with Honey-Citrus Syrup
Catherine Ruehle and Sarah Scheffel adapt your favorite cake recipes into gluten-free treats in Let Us All Eat Cake.
This cake has a texture that I can only describe as pleasantly toothsome. It’s dense and nutty, which makes it particularly satisfying for breakfast or as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea. Don’t skip the honey glaze—it comes together in a flash and elevates this already irresistible cake to extraordinary.
10-12 servings
Gluten-Free Whole Grain Flour Blend
- In a large bowl, whisk the sorghum flour, rice flour, and potato starch until well combined. Store in an airtight container in your pantry or another cool, dark place up to 1 month.
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9-inch-diameter cake pan with nonstick cooking spray or coconut oil, and then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. (Don’t be tempted to skip the parchment—this cake tends to stick to the bottom of the pan.)
- To make the cake: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour blend, almond meal, polenta, and xanthan gum. Stir in the chopped almonds
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl. Add the orange zest and beat until incorporated. Add the eggs, orange juice, and vanilla and mix on low to combine, then on medium for 30 seconds until incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the flour mixture.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the spatula. Arrange the whole almonds on top in a decorative fashion. I like to line the top edge of the cake (think of the almonds as the numbers on a clock face), and then place three to five almonds in the center to create a star shape. Bake in the center of the oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center tests clean.
- While the cake bakes, make the syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the lemon and orange juices with the honey and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the honey. Continue simmering, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and forms a thin syrup, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- When the cake is done baking, transfer the pan to a wire rack. While the cake is still hot, prick the surface with a toothpick and pour the glaze over the top. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan, or slice and serve directly from the pan while the cake is still warm.
- To store, tightly wrap the pan in plastic wrap, or transfer any leftover slices to a large resealable plastic bag or airtight container. Keep at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days. Or you can freeze it up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature before removing the plastic and serving.
Reprinted with permission from Let Us All Eat Cake copyright © 2014 by Catherine Ruehle and Sarah Scheffel. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
