Lavender Polenta Coffee Cake Recipes

LEMON POLENTA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the base of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and butter sides; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and superfine sugar until pale and fluffy.
• In a medium bowl, mix together almond meal, polenta, and baking powder. Add some of the almond meal mixture to the bowl with the butter mixture and beat to combine. Add one egg and mix until combined. With the mixer on low, continue alternating adding remaining almond meal mixture and 2 eggs; mix until well combined. Add lemon zest and mix just to combine.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and transfer to oven; bake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs and cake begins to pull away from sides of the pan, about 40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, mix together lemon juice and confectioners' sugar; place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved; remove syrup from heat.
• Using a cake tester, prick holes all over the top of the cake; pour warm syrup over cake and let cool completely. Remove from pan and serve.

LAVENDER-POLENTA COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 deg. Butter and flour a 9" springform pan. In a small bowl, stir together the raisins and brandy let stand 10 minutes to plump. In another bowl, stir together the polenta, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon zest. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine eggs, olive oil, honey and yogurt. Using an electric mixer, beat on med-low speed until just blended. Set aside 3 T pine nuts for the topping. Add the polenta mixture, raisins and remaining pine nuts to the egg mixture and beat on low speed until batter is almost smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth top with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle the reserved pine nuts over the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. test with toothpick. GLAZE: Make the glaze i a small saucepan over med. heat, combine the honey, lemon juice, zest and lavender. Bring to boil, stirring until honey is dissolved. Remove from heat. Let cool. Transfer cake to a wire rack. Immediately poke the top all over with a thin wooden skewer and brush top with half glaze. Invert cake onto rack, lift off bottom, repeat process with the other half glaze. Reinvert cake and let cool. Makes one 9" coffee cake.