This Lemon Polenta Cake is pure sunshine in dessert form—bright, buttery, and just the right amount of tangy. It’s one of those cakes that looks simple but delivers way more flavor than you expect. The texture is soft and slightly crumbly, with a syrupy lemon drizzle that soaks right through. It’s naturally gluten-free, which is just a happy bonus, but honestly, I’d make it even if it weren’t. It’s that good.
The first time I baked it, I didn’t change a thing—and that’s saying something. Normally, I can’t help tweaking recipes, but this one hits all the right notes as is. The mix of cornmeal (or fine polenta) and almond flour gives the cake a rich, nutty flavor and that unique little “bite” that makes every forkful interesting. Once the syrup soaks in, it becomes moist and fragrant, almost like a lemony pudding cake.
If you’ve never baked with polenta before, it’s basically coarsely ground cornmeal. You’ll find it in the same aisle as grits, but don’t substitute those—grits are too fine and won’t give you that signature texture. Look for fine or medium-ground cornmeal instead. It’s easy to find here in the U.S., and once you bake with it, you’ll start thinking of a hundred ways to use it again.
This cake works beautifully served warm with a spoonful of whipped cream or Greek yogurt swirled with lemon curd. When it’s cold, it’s lovely with coffee, too—it’s got that soft crumble that makes you want “just one more bite.” You can dust the top with powdered sugar to make it look extra fancy, but honestly, it doesn’t need much dressing up.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1¾ sticks (14 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups almond flour (or ground almonds)
- ¾ cup fine cornmeal (or fine polenta)
- 1½ teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
- 3 large eggs
- 2 lemons (zest and juice separated)
- 1 cup powdered sugar (for syrup)
For the Cream
- 1¼ cups heavy cream (or Greek yogurt)
- 2 tablespoons lemon curd
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides.
In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. In another bowl, mix the almond flour, cornmeal, and baking powder.
Add a few spoonfuls of the dry mixture to the butter and sugar, then crack in one egg and mix until combined. Keep alternating between the dry ingredients and the eggs until everything is mixed together. Stir in the lemon zest.
Scoop the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for about 45 minutes, checking around 40. The cake should be golden, pulling away slightly from the sides, and a tester should come out with a few moist crumbs—this is a soft, syrupy cake, so don’t overbake it.
While the cake bakes, make the syrup. In a small saucepan, combine the juice from the two lemons with the powdered sugar. Heat over medium, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the syrup just starts to bubble. Remove from the heat.
When the cake comes out of the oven, poke it all over with a skewer or toothpick. Slowly pour the warm syrup over the top, letting it soak in. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before transferring it to a serving plate.
For a finishing touch, dust the top with powdered sugar.
To make the lemon curd cream:
Whip the cream until it holds soft peaks, then gently swirl in the lemon curd. Spoon it alongside the cake—or over it if you’re feeling wild.
Every time I make this cake, my kitchen smells like fresh lemons and sugar melting into butter, which feels like the happiest kind of perfume. It’s one of those desserts that somehow tastes homemade and elegant at the same time. Soft, tangy, golden—everything a lemon cake should be.