Strawberry and Lemon Polenta Cake is the most delicious way to enjoy strawberries in a cake! Sliced and used as the decoration as well as stirred through the cake, strawberries take lemon polenta cake to the next level and make it amazingly delicious! Over the years, this cake has had some amazing feedback and is loved by everyone who tries it.
Why you're going to love this recipe
Every now and then I make a cake that I cut up and go "wow". This was one of those. It was moist, yummy and just lightly lemony. All the things you need your cake to be. I'm particularly proud that this was good enough to go to school in another kids lunch box the next day (i.e a child not my own!).
Here's why you're going to love this recipe:
- light enough for afternoon tea
- sweet enough as a dessert
- freezer friendly
- easy to make
- decorated when it comes out of the oven
- moist, texture, and enough crunch around the edges
- one bowl for mixing
- versatile- replace the strawberries with your favourite berries, or even slices of pear or apple
What goes into the recipe
- polenta- I use coarsely ground- that I buy from the supermarket, basically any actual polenta will do, just don't buy the prepared polenta, it should look like grains of yello sand rather than a solid lump.
- self-raising flour- this is flour that already contains a rising agent. If you don't have any, you can use 1 tsp of baking powder in the flour
- brown sugar- this helps to give a really nice caramelisation throughout the cake. You can swap for raw sugar if you prefer or even coconut sugar.
- greek yoghurt- this helps with the texture and tang of the cake, because it works really well with the lemon to make it even more delicious.
How to make this recipe
- Zest the lemon (do this before juicing!) (Image 1)
- Juice the lemon (Image 2)
- Chop the strawberries. Use the centre slices for the top of the cake, and use the side slices for inside the cake. (Image 3)
- Combine the sugar, butter and coconut oil in the bowl of a mixer and cream them until fluffy and creamy. (Image 4)
- This is the mixture when fluffy and creamy! (Image 5)
- Add in the lemon zest and lemon juice and beat. (Image 6)
- Add in the eggs one at a time, beating in between each one. (Image 7)
- Add the flour, polenta, coconut, yoghurt and beat until combined. (Image 8)
- The batter should be relatively smooth (Image 9).
- Add the ⅓ of the strawberries, stirring through.
(Image10) - Add into a lined springform cake pan. (Image 11)
- Top with the remaining strawberries, and bake at 180 degrees celsius (355F) for 40 minutes. (Image 12)
Expert Tips and FAQs
I recommend using a springform tin for this, it will make removing the cake from the tin much easier. If you don't have a springform, I would suggest lining a cake tin and leaving enough baking paper to use as handles to remove the cake.
Don't be afraid of this one because of the polenta. My first ever experience of a cake containing polenta was dry, not unlike a mouthful of sand. But this one pulls out all the stops and certainly doesn't resemble sand!
Yes! In fact, it works well with other berries. Sliced pear also works well as does peeled and sliced apple.
Yes, I slice it before freezing, so that it is easy to manage when I want a slice. It can also be cut into squares, making it easier to manage for the lunchbox.
More cakes to bake:
Need more strawberry ideas? Try this fruit leather- you don't even need a dehydrator, or try making our strawberry chia seed jam!
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Strawberry and Lemon Polenta Cake
Ingredients
- 2 tbsps coconut oil
- 110 grams butter
- 150 grams brown sugar (you can use raw sugar, coconut sugar if you prefer)
- zest of one lemon
- juice of one lemon
- 3 eggs
- 3 tbsps shredded coconut
- 110 grams polenta
- 130 grams self raising flour (if you don't have any, you can use plain flour with one tsp of baking powder)
- 4 tbsps greek yoghurt
- 250 grams strawberries sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celsius (355f).
- Grease a 20cm springform (I used my profiline pushpan and didn't need to grease) and line the base with baking paper.
- Cream the butter, coconut oil and sugar in an electric mixer until creamy.
- Add the lemon juice and zest and continue to mix.
- Add one egg at a time, beating in between.
- Add the flour, polenta, shredded coconut and yoghurt, beating for 30 seconds to combine.
- Fold ⅓ of the strawberries through the mix.
- Put the mix into the cake pan and scatter the top with the remaining strawberries.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the edges are golden and the centre is just set.
- Cool in the cake pan for 30 minutes before removing carefully.
- Serve warm or cold.
- Makes 8-12 slices slices.
Notes
Recipe video
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2015, republished in 2018, and fully republished 0n 17/8/2021, with new photos, process shots, video and faqs.
Brian Jones says
I've never made a polenta cake before but this looks fantastic, those strawberries are like jewels set against the golden cake.
Kylie says
Thanks Brian, it's a really interesting twist on usual boring cake!
Adrianne says
Kylie, you and me need to sit down with a pot of tea and this bloody awesome looking cake!! It is pretty and sounds delicious. Yes, I think it is a good idea too to make 3 and support the farmers, good thinking!
Fareeha says
Wow! What an awesome load of deliciousness. I am totally drooling over this polenta cake.
Kylie says
Thanks Fareeha, it's a favourite around here!
Sandra Shaffer says
What a wonderful cake and guess what? I have all the ingredients! I have only used polenta to make cornbread, so this is going to be a treat for us. I love the strawberry topping. Perfect with a cup of tea.
Kylie says
Hey Sandra,
I had never made cornbread until recently and I was surprised by how well it goes with smoked meats and slaw!
Melinda Roworth says
Looks absolutely divine!
Kylie says
Thanks Melinda! Have you made it yet?