Sandi is blogging from the WhistleStop Cafe kitchen. It's all about good home cooking; food, family and fun. Thousands of posts . . .

~In the south and around the world.



Sunday, July 20, 2008

Slow Sunshine Baking

Our task this week for our Sunday Slow Bakers is a Citrus-Glazed Polenta Cake. The citrus and the yellow polenta in this recipe make me think of sunshine. We all need a little sunshine!This week has reminded us, in several ways, that friends and family are our constant source of sunshine.
Life is short ~seize your joy.
"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude."

So now on to the polenta... which we have discovered is really a fine yellow cornmeal. Italians use it in baking, but also in a creamy grits-like dish. Isn't that funny?
It does make a yummy torta.

Torta di Polenta
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup polenta
1 tsp salt
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup olive oil
A lemon, lime & orange
2 cups confectioner's sugar for the glaze
Preheat oven to 325°

Zest the fruits and set aside, combine dry ingredients and set aside, grease and flour a spring form pan. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and granulated sugar until they have tripled in volume. Beat in the zests. Alternate adding dry ingredients and oil. Pour the batter into the springform pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cake pulls away from the sides. Cool for 15 minutes before removing the sides of the springform pan.

While the cake is cooling make the citrus glaze. combine 2 cups confectioner's sugar and 1 tablespoon of juice from each of the zested fruits. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over the polenta cake.

This is an interesting cake~ almost like a sweet cornbread. Very Dolce Italiano!
buon appetito y'all~
Sandi

8 comments:

Mari said...

Oh it looks good! I've never used polenta, but this may change that!

Anonymous said...

A fine looking cake Sandi!

It is true, you southerners know your way around corn bread!

Sandi @the WhistleStop Cafe said...

Mari~ it gives the cake an interesting texture
Jerry~ I would never eat my cornbread this sweet... I guess that is why it is a cake!

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Mmmmmm..I've only had polenta savory! I will have to try this torta!

Thanks!

Pearl Maple said...

Yummm!
Love cornmeal and in a fancy tort all the better.
Thanks for all the tasty recipes you share with us all.

Sandi @the WhistleStop Cafe said...

Pat~ I like savory polenta too. This is nice for a change.
Pearl~ If you like cornmeal, then you will like polenta.

Tina Leavy said...

loooks so yummy..and those lemon peels around the edge just really say "southern sunshine"

Anonymous said...

Being a cake lover, I must try making one using cornmeal. I am with you though, I eat my cornbread without sugar. But cake that is another story!

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