Choc And Almond Polenta Cake Recipes

POLENTA ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread sliced almonds in a single layer on a small baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a shallow bowl; set aside to cool. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, finely grind whole almonds; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the ground almonds, polenta, flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Pour melted butter into an 8-by-2-inch round cake pan, swirling to coat bottom and brushing up sides of the pan. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar and toasted sliced almonds; set aside.
• Combine butter and remaining 1 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Beat in orange juice and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, slowly beating just until combined.
• Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with an offset spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Transfer baking pan to wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan, and cool completely.

ALMOND-POLENTA POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the lower third. Butter an 8 × 9 4-inch loaf pan; dust with flour, and tap out excess. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cut the almond paste into 2/3 cup sugar with 2 forks until it resembles coarse meal. Add the butter; using the paddle attachment, beat until soft and light, about 4 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the extracts, cream, and egg yolks. With the mixer on medium, gradually add the cream mixture to the butter mixture. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Sift half the flour mixture over the butter mixture, and fold to combine. Fold in the remaining flour mixture.
• In another mixing bowl, beat the egg whites and remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar on medium speed to stiff peaks, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold into the batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. If the top begins to brown too much, cover loosely with foil. Let cool before serving.

DARK CHOCOLATE POLENTA CAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease a 20cm/8in round springform tin and line the base with baking paper.
• Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Leave to cool slightly.
• Mix together the almonds, polenta and baking powder in a small bowl.
• Beat the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is light and pale. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Fold through the melted chocolate until completely incorporated. Tip the bowl of dry ingredients into the chocolate mixture and fold in using a spatula, until just combined. Add the vanilla extract and fold through.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the tin and leave to cool slightly on a wire rack.
• For the sauce, put the butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, then cook until the sugar has dissolved. Add the cream, vanilla and salt, then whisk. Bring to a steady simmer, then cook for 3 minutes, or until sticky and thick.
• Cut the warm cake into slices and serve with a little crème fraîche and a drizzle of sauce.

APRICOT, ALMOND & POLENTA CAKE

Steps:

• Butter a 20-23cm round cake tin. If it has a loose bottom, you will need to wrap the outside with foil to prevent any of the caramel from leaking. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. For the apricots, put the granulated sugar and 75ml water into a saucepan. Heat slowly until the sugar has dissolved. When the sugar has melted, bring to the boil and watch the syrup until it starts to turn to a deep amber colour. Remove from the heat and add the butter. Stir until it has melted. Pour into the tin, then lay the apricots in it, cut-side down.
• For the cake, beat together the butter and sugar until light with an electric whisk. Add the egg a little at a time, then the zest and almond extract. Mix all the dry ingredients together, then fold them gradually into the egg mixture, alternating with the milk. Spoon this over the apricots and bake for 50 mins. To test it's baked, push a skewer into the centre. It should come out clean.
• Leave the cake to cool for 15 mins, then run a knife in-between the cake and the inside of the tin and invert it onto a plate. If any of the apricot halves get left behind in the tin carefully scoop them up - trying to keep their shape intact and not squash them too much - and put them back, cut-side up, on the cake. Leave the cake to cool, or serve warm if you want.
• Heat the apricot jam with 2 tbsp of water. Once the jam has dissolved, push it through a sieve to remove the bits of apricot. Leave it to cool a little - otherwise it overcooks the apricots, which should be perfectly cooked and not collapsing - then paint the jam thickly on the top of the cake. Leave this to set a little, then serve with crème fraîche or cream, if you like.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE & ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 and line the base of a 20cm springform tin with baking parchment. Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of just-simmering water, or in the microwave in 20-second bursts. Stir, then leave to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, tip the eggs and sugar into a second bowl and beat with an electric whisk for 4-5 mins, or until thick and creamy. Add the mascarpone or soft cheese and vanilla, and continue to beat until everything is combined. Lightly fold in the cooled melted chocolate mixture until everything is one even colour, then fold in the almonds. Sift over the cocoa powder and a small pinch of salt, and fold in to combine.
• Scrape the cake batter into the prepared tin. Put the tin on a baking tray and bake for 35-40 mins until the cake is puffed up and has cracked on top. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 30-40 mins - it will deflate as it cools. Serve warm as a chocolate pudding, or leave to cool completely and enjoy as a fudgy brownie cake. Dust with extra cocoa powder before serving.