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Polenta and Rosemary Cake

Prep 20 min
Total 1 hr 15 min
Ingredients 16
Servings 8

Sometimes a memory tied to a special event in our lives, and triggered through a scent, taste or texture, awakens strong emotions inside us. This it what I feel each time I prepare-and enjoy-this polenta cake. Years ago, my daughter was about to graduate from college, and I had mixed feelings about it because she refused to attend the graduation ceremony. I was incredibly disappointed, because seeing her graduate had been a happy dream of mine since she'd left to study in England. In end, she didn't attend despite my pleading. But on the day she brought me her diploma, I had just finished baking this polenta cake, a recipe I've always liked for its slightly crunchy texture and wonderful flavor. I remember having served myself a small slice, and was enjoying it with a cup of coffee. But everything changed when I held her diploma in my hands. My eyes filled with tears, and my heart swelled with pride and satisfaction. Seeing my daughter with her degree in Philosophy was a moment of pure happiness for me; it was the same profession that my grandfather and brother pursued. And ever since that day, whenever I think of preparing this cake I'm reminded of the pride I felt that afternoon. And if Laura Esquivel is right, as she says in her novel Like Water for Chocolate, anyone who tries my polenta cake will feel some of that pride.

Ingredients

1 cup instant polenta
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons buttermilk
5 tablespoons olive oil
Zest from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar

For the syrup:

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1 rosemary leaf

For garnish:

Orange wedges
Dragon fruit
Greek yogurt

Directions

1

Preheat the oven to 350° F and grease a bread loaf pan with oil.
2

Sift the polenta, flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
3

In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, olive oil, zest and lemon juice.
4

In a mixer, whip the eggs with the sugar until creamy.
5

Add the liquid ingredients and immediately after, outside of the mixer, incorporate the dry ingredients.
6

Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the cake.
7

Let Cool for 10 minutes on a rack before removing from the loaf pan.
8

For the syrup: Combine the sugar, water and rosemary leaf in a small pot. Let boil, lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Let cool.
9

When the cake is warm, remove from the mold and leave on the rack. Poke all the surface of the cake with a toothpick and baste with the syrup, one tablespoon at a time so it gets absorbed completely.
10

Slice and serve with a bit of Greek yogurt and orange wedges and/or diced dragon fruit.

You can use any fruit you like to accompany the cake, like strawberries, mango, melon, bananas, etc.
Change the flavor of the syrup by using another herb, like mint or basil.

No nutrition information available for this recipe

Sometimes a memory tied to a special event in our lives, and triggered through a scent, taste or texture, awakens strong emotions inside us. This it what I feel each time I prepare-and enjoy-this polenta cake. Years ago, my daughter was about to graduate from college, and I had mixed feelings about it because she refused to attend the graduation ceremony. I was incredibly disappointed, because seeing her graduate had been a happy dream of mine since she'd left to study in England. In end, she didn't attend despite my pleading. But on the day she brought me her diploma, I had just finished baking this polenta cake, a recipe I've always liked for its slightly crunchy texture and wonderful flavor. I remember having served myself a small slice, and was enjoying it with a cup of coffee. But everything changed when I held her diploma in my hands. My eyes filled with tears, and my heart swelled with pride and satisfaction. Seeing my daughter with her degree in Philosophy was a moment of pure happiness for me; it was the same profession that my grandfather and brother pursued. And ever since that day, whenever I think of preparing this cake I'm reminded of the pride I felt that afternoon. And if Laura Esquivel is right, as she says in her novel Like Water for Chocolate, anyone who tries my polenta cake will feel some of that pride.