Lemon Polenta Cake Recipe | Italian Dessert

Name: Lemon Polenta Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 ½ cup almond flour ((185 grams)); ¾ cup cornmeal ((125 grams)); 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon salt; ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened ((one and a half sticks)); ¾ cup sugar; 3 large eggs; 1 ½ tablespoons lemon zest ((from one lemon)); ½ cup powdered sugar; 2 ½ teaspoons lemon juice

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Lemon Polenta Cake is a deliciously moist and naturally gluten-free lemon cake that’s super simple to make. This Italian-inspired dessert is great served with a hot cup of coffee for dessert, breakfast, or a midday treat.

Lemon Polenta Cake slice on a white plate with the cake in the background.

If you are looking for a simple and elegant dessert recipe, then you are going to love this lemon polenta cake. Made with almond flour, cornmeal, eggs, and drizzled with a lemony glaze, this is the perfect treat for any occasion.

If you love lemony Italian desserts, be sure to try my fan favorite Italian Lemon Ricotta Cake, Italian Cornmeal Cookies, or Lemon Amaretti Cookies. And for a fun take on tiramisu, be sure to try this Limoncello Tiramisu. Lemon dessert lovers will go crazy for this Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake and these Lemon Blondies!

Table of Contents

You’ll Love Lemon Polenta Cake!

Lemon Polenta Cake is a traditional Italian dessert that is simple to make and has so much flavor. This is one recipe you definitely don’t want to miss.

You’ll love that this cake comes together quick too. Plus, all that is needed is a hand mixer and a cake pan. If you don’t have a cake pan, feel free to use a springform or a square baking pan instead.

Also, this lemon polenta cake is a great make-ahead treat. You can make and refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze in an airtight container for up to two months.

Lemon Polenta Cake slice on a white plate with blueberries.

This is a tasty treat to serve at breakfast or brunch too. And, it’s not too sweet and has the perfect balance of flavor and texture. Anyone who tries it, loves it!

Ingredients

The ingredients for Lemon Polenta Cake are: cornmeal, almond flour, baking powder, salt, lemon, eggs, butter, sugar, and powdered sugar.

Cornmeal: this is an essential ingredient for the cake. You can find cornmeal in the baking section of the grocery store.
Almond Flour: the almond keep the cake moist and gluten-free. Be sure to use almond flour and not almond meal, which can be too coarse for this cake.
Lemon: lemon zest will add a lot of flavor to this cake. Since you are using the zest of the lemon, try to use an organic lemon if possible.

How to Make Lemon Polenta Cake

This traditional Italian polenta cake recipe is a moist and delicate dessert or breakfast treat that comes together fast. With just a few ingredients, you can have this lemon polenta cake in no time.

process shots showing how to make recipe including mixing together the cornmeal and almond flour.

Step 1: In a bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Step 2: In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the butter and sugar. Then, add in the eggs one a time, mixing in between each addition. Use a microplane to zest a lemon into the batter.

Step 3: Add the cornmeal mixture and stir until well combined.

Step 4: Pour the batter into a 9 inch cake pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray and lined with parchment paper. Spread until smooth. The batter will be thick, so you’ll need to use a rubber spatula to spread it into the pan.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire cooling rack to cool completely before adding glaze.

How to Make Lemon Glaze

The glaze for the cake is simple and only requires two ingredients: powdered sugar and lemon juice. Remember that lemon you zested earlier, use the juice from that for this simple glaze.

In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. You want the mixture to be thick but pourable. Once the cake is completely cooled, drizzle the glaze overtop.

Lemon Polenta Cake with lemon glaze on a white plate.

However, if you wanted to skip the glaze, you could always dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar. This cake is also delicious served with a side of berries.

Tips for Making Lemon Polenta Cake

Be sure you are using almond flour and not almond meal for this recipe.
Use an organic lemon is possible since you will be using the lemon’s zest.
Lemon Polenta Cake could also be made in a 9×9 inch baking pan or a springform pan.
To ensure that the cake releases easily, line the bottom of the pan with parchment and spray with nonstick spray.
If you don’t want to add the lemon glaze, you can just dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to store Lemon Polenta Cake?

Lemon Polenta Cake can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze the cake in an airtight container for up to two months.

Gluten-Free Italian Dessert Options?

There are many delicious gluten-free Italian desserts like this Lemon Polenta Cake. You can also try Italian Almond Chocolate Cookies or Amaretti Biscuits.

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