Polenta lemon cake dairy free and gluten free

Polenta Lemon Cake

Polenta always seems to crop up when looking for a gluten free option in a café in the form of an orange polenta cake. However, nice as they might be it is let down by its predictability. Also the texture can sometimes be too gritty so I offer you this recipe as a gluten free and dairy free alternative which is akin to a lemon drizzle cake in its moistness.

Ingredients:

160g polenta

80g ground almonds

180g gluten free self raising flour

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

140g golden caster sugar

2 lemons grated zest

400ml coconut cream

100ml oil

3 eggs

30g honey

2 lemons juice

Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan 160C and grease and line the base of a 10 inch loose bottomed cake tin. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine the polenta, almonds, flour, bicarb, sugar and zest and mix together. In another bowl or jug, mix together the cream, eggs and oil.

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients and mix until combined. This should take about 30 seconds. 

Pour the mixture in the prepared tin and pop in the oven for about 50 minutes or until the cake is golden brown on top. 

About 5 minutes before the cake is ready, prepare the lemon syrup by mixing the honey and lemon juice in a small pan over a medium heat and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes. 

Once the cake is ready and you have tested it by inserting a knife in the middle to check it comes out clean and dry, poke the cake a few more times evenly around the cake and pour the lemon syrup evenly over the cake whilst still in the tin. 

Allow to cool in the tin before carefully taking it out of the tin. This cake tastes better the next day and will keep for 3 days in a cool, dry place.