Strawberry Polenta Cupcakes Recipes

STRAWBERRY & POLENTA CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases and heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest until pale and fluffy. Add the polenta and continue to whisk until combined. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time.
• Sift in flour and baking powder, then fold in quickly with a large spoon or spatula until you have a thick batter (the mixture may look lumpy because of the polenta). Stir in the milk to loosen, then gently fold in the chopped strawberries. Divide the mixture between the paper cases, then bake for 20 mins or until golden, risen and springy to touch. Cool for a few mins, then place the cakes on a wire rack to cool completely. The cakes can now be stored in an airtight container for up to two days.
• Carefully peel the cases off the cakes. Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl. Place the chopped strawberries in a bowl with 1 tsp lemon juice and mash with a fork until pulpy. Push through a sieve over the icing sugar (you only need a few drops of juice to colour the icing a rosy pink). Stir in more lemon juice, a dribble at a time, until you have a thick yet fluid paste. Dip the top of each cake into the icing, then top immediately with a strawberry half. Leave to set, then serve.

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB POLENTA UPSIDE DOWN CAKES

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F Lightly spray a 12-cup muffin pan with the cooking spray.
• To make the cakes, sift together the flour, corn meal, sugar, Clabber Girl baking powder and salt into a medium-size bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs and yogurt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the egg mixture, and stir just until blended. Do not overbeat. Let sit for the polenta to absorb the liquids while preparing the muffin tin.
• To prepare the tin, in each muffin cup place 1 teaspoon of the butter and 1 teaspoon of the sugar, then add 2 strawberry halves. Sprinkle evenly with the diced rhubarb. Bake until the mixture in each cup is melted and bubbly, about 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling them as full as possible.
• Return muffin tin to the oven and bake until the center of a muffin springs back when pressed gently with your finger, about 18 - 20 minutes. Immediately invert and unmold the cakes onto a wire cake rack. Cool briefly and serve. These cakes are best the day they are made or kept in an airtight container for up to three days.