Lemon Polenta Cake with Rosemary Syrup

Last November, my friend and I were wandering around Camden Market in London enjoying all the little food stalls. I had some remarkable arepas stuffed with spiced and shredded beef. Then there was the stall making a savory Japanese version of Aebelskiver (the Swedish version being round pancake like balls stuffed with jam or sugar) stuffed with squid and shrimp and drizzled with a thick soysauce, sprinkled with little squares of dried toasted seaweed – very interesting and rather good really, but oh so different.

We were lucky enough to stumble on a young pastry chef and his amazing cake collection, but we were so stuffed already that we only had room for the most unusual and delicious sounding of his creations – the Lemon Polenta Cake with Rosemary. Although he was in the open air – and his “stall” was really only a glorified table he plated our wedge of cake beautifully – it sat on the paper plate drizzled with extra syrup beside a still pool of crème anglaise. It was amazing, in every way. The texture was tender but very coarse and it had a full bracing rush of lemon – not too sweet and not too sour and than a wiff of rosemary. I was brazen enough to ask for the recipe, but he just laughed. So I’ve been attempting to recreate it here at home. This recipe is my most successful attempt to date, but it does not approach the refined and elegant cake I had that autumn day last year. When I get it right I’ll let you know – in the meantime we can make do with this.

Right now this recipe is only by weight which will require you to have a kitchen scale to make it. If the demand is overwelming, I'd be happy to provide a recipe with standard American volume measurements. I just couldn't imagine the demand for a sweet lemon polenta cake with rosemary to be so strong, but I'm probably way off base.


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Lemon Polenta Cake with Rosemary Syrup

Ingredients

• 175g/6oz polenta
• 50g/2oz plain flour
• 7ml/1.5tsp baking powder
• good pinch salt
• 75ml/5tbsp natural yogurt
• 75ml/5tbsp rapeseed or canola oil, plus extra for greasing
• 2 lemons, juice and grated rind
• 2 eggs
• 2 eggs, whites only
• 400g/14oz caster or super fine sugar
• 2 sprigs rosemary, plus extra small sprigs for decoration
• 225g/8oz raspberries

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together polenta, flour, baking powder and salt.
Put yogurt, oil, lemon rind and 2tbsp lemon juice in a jug and stir to combine.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs, egg whites and half the sugar until creamy. Beat in yogurt mixture until smooth then stir in dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
Pour batter into a lightly oiled 4 cup loaf pan (I used an 9-inch cake pan) lined with baking paper. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Meanwhile, put remaining sugar in a saucepan with 200ml/7fl oz water and rosemary. Simmer for 10 minutes. Cool and strain.
When cake is cooked, put it on a cooling rack for 15 minutes then invert and remove baking paper. Prick all over with a toothpick and drizzle half the rosemary syrup over. Cool completely.
To serve, slice cake and arrange on plates. Scatter raspberries around and drizzle more syrup over them. Decorate with rosemary sprigs.

Serves 8