Wednesday 18 July 2012

High Energy Lemon & Almond Polenta Cake

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This is no ordinary cake.  In fact, this is so energy dense and rich in calories and sugar that I need to take a break from baking for the blog!  After all, whatever I bake, I end up eating.


The good news is that this is excellent for an individual with high energy requirements.  Or perhaps your child is following an exclusion diet but can do with the extra calories.


Consisting of polenta, this gorgeous energetic cake is also wheat, gluten, milk and soy free.  I did throw an egg in it so this is not egg free.  


I was very impatient and turned the cake over after only 10 minutes of cool time.  Oops - alas I also did not line the tin with any extra margarine (like as if the cake needed any extra fats), so the cake stuck to the tin (but really, no surprises there)!  I would wait till the cake cools completely before cutting.  


At first, I wasn't sure if I liked it as it was very sweet and lemony.  Once I had stored it in the fridge and then re-tasted, we all thought it was quite delicious.  A lovely grainy but sweet crumb, thanks to the polenta and sugar.


Ingredients
250g margarine (milk free)
230g demerara sugar
1 egg
1 medium banana, mashed
100g polenta flour
160g polenta
100g ground almonds
Rind of 1 small lemon


Methods
1. Preheat your oven to 200ºC.
2. Cream the sugar and margarine.  
3. Next beat in one egg and the mashed banana.
4. Add the flours and ground almonds, one at a time, mixing well.
5. Add the rind of one small lemon and squeeze in the juice into the mixture.
6. Pour into a baking tin, bake at 200ºC for 10 minutes, then cook further for 30 minutes at 180ºC.


Enjoy and remember, this is high in fat and sugar.  Treat this like a 'treat' food or enjoy if your child or you require a high energy diet.  Otherwise, just look and admire.


For benefits of polenta see The World's Sexiest Carb - Italian Polenta.