Contents
Contents
Lemon and almond polenta cake
This is really special to me, not only because it was one of my mother’s specialities, but also because it was a traditional cake made every Easter Sunday without fail. I remember waking up to the aroma of it baking, and, to this day, it takes me back in time. Dessert, afternoon tea or – even better – a breakfast slice: perfect perfect perfect! Make sure to buy fine polenta or cornmeal rather than regular, and your butter must be soft so it combines easily. You can substitute the lemon juice with limoncello liqueur, if you prefer.
Serves 6
125g unsalted butter, softened and cubed, plus more for the tin
100g ground almonds 115g fine polenta
Fine salt
1 level teaspoon baking powder
175g caster sugar
2 eggs
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 small lemons (or see recipe introduction)
75ml whole milk
Method
Grease a 16 × 9 × 7cm loaf tin and line it with baking paper.
Put the almonds, polenta, a pinch of salt, the baking powder and 115g of the sugar in a bowl and stir, so the dry ingredients are evenly mixed.
Make a well in the middle, crack in the eggs, add the butter, lemon zest and milk and beat on a medium speed with an electric whisk for about 3 minutes, working all the dry ingredients in from the sides to create a smooth batter.
Preheat the air fryer to 160°C for 3 minutes.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, flatten the top and bake for 20 minutes.
Reduce the air fryer temperature to 150°C and cook for a further
25 minutes, or for a couple of minutes less if your tin is slightly bigger and the batter is less deep, until cooked through and golden. You can check this by putting a cocktail stick or skewer in the middle of your cake, to make sure it comes out clean.
Meanwhile, mix the lemon juice and remaining 60g sugar in a jug, to dissolve. When the cake has cooled for 5 minutes, gradually brush or spoon the sugar mixture evenly all over until absorbed. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out to cool completely on a wire rack.
Win
a copy of 'Gino's Air Fryer Cook Book' (Bloomsbury, £22 Hardback). Click the link below to enter...
Extracted from Gino’s Air Fryer Cookbook: Italian Classics Made Easy by Gino D’Acampo. Published by Bloomsbury on 24th October (Hardback £22) Photography credit: Haarala Hamilton.
