Polenta Apple Cake
Freshly Baked Polenta Apple Cake
This is a sweet polenta cake that is topped with apples and chopped almonds. The texture is somewhere between a torte and a cake as the polenta gives the batter a bit of extra heft. This recipe cuts down on the normal amounts of butter by substituting apple cider.
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal (the variety used for polenta preferably)
1 teaspoon baking powder
zest of one lemon, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons apple cider or apple juice
2 apples, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced (gala apples are a good choice)
1/4 chopped or slivered almonds
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter and flour a 9” springform pan. In a large bowl mix the flour, cornmeal, lemon zest, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine.
In a separate bowl beat the eggs with 1/2 cup of sugar. Add the milk, the apple cider and almond extract and stir to combine . Slowly incorporate the dry into the wet ingredients and mix to combine. Pour the mixture into the springform pan.
Arrange apples in concentric circles over the top of the batter. Sprinkle with the almonds. In a saucepan melt the butter. Pour the butter evenly over the apples and then sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 sugar.
Bake until the cake is golden about 45 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the springform pan for 15 to 20 minutes before removing.
Slice of Polenta Apple Cake