A lemony polenta cake, the kind of thing that’s fancy enough to feel like an occasion, yet simple enough to whip up on a whim, is rooted in Italian tradition. I’ve baked more versions than I can count. But Benjamina Ebuehi’s take, from her latest cookbook, “I’ll Bring Dessert”, made me rethink them all. Because along with the expected shower of lemon zest, she stirs in a hefty dose of minced preserved lemon.
It was a brilliant twist and not surprising that it came from Ebuehi, a British cookbook author and food stylist who got her start as a contestant on “The Great British Bake Off”. She’s got a knack for reworking familiar baked goods. Seasoning polenta cake with preserved lemon, a staple of North African and Middle Eastern kitchens, is a perfect example. Where fresh lemon brings pure brightness, the preserved lemon adds something earthier and more complex: saltiness, depth and a touch of funk from the fermentation.
“I typically like pairing pistachios and lemons”, Ebuehi said when I asked her how she came up with the recipe. “Then I got the idea to try preserved lemons, which makes the flavour more robust. It gives the cake an edge”. (This said, if you don’t have any preserved lemon on hand, you can skip it for a more straightforwardly citrusy cake).
As for the pistachios, she grinds them into the batter in place of the almond flour usually found in gluten-free bakes like this one. They give the crumb a marked richness, while the polenta keeps things rustic, with a gritty, nubby bite.
My only change to Ebuehi’s recipe was to swap in olive oil for the sunflower oil. Olive oil turns up often in polenta cake and here it underscores the cake’s savoury bent, which is balanced by a thick lemon glaze. This crowning touch nods to Ebuehi’s own baking tradition, a first cousin of the soaking syrup on a classic British lemon drizzle cake, reimagined as a tangy white icing that’s just sweet enough.
For Ebuehi, this is the kind of relaxed cake she’d set out with tea for friends.
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Pistachio Polenta Cake
This lemon-flavoured cake is easy to make and very festive. It also happens to be gluten-free. You will need a food processor to grind the pistachios, but the cake batter can be mixed together with a whisk. Along with the grated lemon zest, a little chopped preserved lemon adds a complex, salty-savoury note, but feel free to leave it out for a more straightforward citrus flavour. This cake keeps well overnight if you want to bake it ahead of time (store it at room temperature).
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Yield: 1 cake
Total time: 50 to 60 minutes, plus cooling
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Ingredients:
7 tablespoons/100 grams extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil, plus more for greasing
1 1/2 cups/180 grams shelled pistachios, plus chopped pistachios to decorate the top
1/2 cup/80 grams fine-ground polenta or cornmeal
3/4 cup/150 grams sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1/3 cup/80 grams plain yoghurt
1 tablespoon finely chopped preserved lemon or use 1/2 teaspoon salt
Grated zest of 1 lemon
For the glaze
3/4 cup/90 grams powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
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Preparation:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch cake pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, pulse the pistachios until finely ground. Add the polenta, sugar, baking soda and baking powder and pulse to combine.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, 7 tablespoons oil, yoghurt, preserved lemon (or salt) and lemon zest. Add pistachio mixture and fold to combine.
4. Pour batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake until the top is golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before glazing. Note that the cake will sink a bit in the middle as it cools.
5. To make the glaze, in a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Continue whisking in more lemon juice as needed to yield a very thick but pourable glaze.
6. Spoon the glaze on the top of the cooled cake, using the back of a spoon to push it to the edges. Decorate top with chopped pistachios and let set for at least 30 minutes before serving. — The New York Times
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