Raspberry and Lemon Polenta Cake Recipe
Ingredients
| 225 g / 8 oz very soft butter | ||
| 225 g / 8 oz caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp | ||
| Eggs | 4 Large, beaten (FOR THE CAKE) | |
| 175 g / 6 oz fine quick-cook polenta | ||
| 50 g / 2 oz plain flour, plus 1 tbsp | ||
| Baking powder | 1 1/2 Teaspoon (FOR THE CAKE) | |
| Vanilla extract | 1/2 Teaspoon (FOR THE CAKE) | |
| Finely grated zest 1 1/2 lemons | ||
| 200 g / 8 oz fresh raspberries, or use frozen ones, left frozen | ||
| Soft cheese | 100 Gram (FOR THE FILLING) | |
| 1 tbsp icing sugar, or more to taste | ||
| Finely grated zest 1/2 lemon, plus a squeeze of juice | ||
| 142 ml tub double cream | ||
| 100 g / 4 oz fresh or frozen raspberries, defrosted | ||
Directions
1. Heat oven to 190C / 170C fan / gas 5 and butter two 20cm sandwich tins, line the bottom of tins with baking parchment. In a large bowl, beat the butter and 225 g caster sugar together until creamy. Gradually add the eggs, little by little, until the mix is pale and fluffy. If the mix looks like it's starting to split, add 1 tsp of the flour, then carry on.
2. Stir together the polenta, flour and baking powder. Beat the vanilla extract and zest into the eggy mix, then fold in the dry ingredients. Spoon half the batter into each tin and level the top. Scatter most of the raspberries over the mix and poke in gently. Sprinkle one of the sponges with the 1 tbsp sugar. Bake for 20 mins until risen and golden, but still with a little wobble under the crust.
3. Open the oven, whip out the sugar-crusted sponge and quickly poke the remaining frozen raspberries into it. Bake both sponges for 10 more mins or until springy in the middle. (If this sounds too tricky, just leave the sponges to bake for 30 mins and add the leftover berries to . the filling instead). Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then cool completely on a rack. Be careful when turning out the raspberry sponge - slide it off its base rattier than turning upside down.
4. Once cold, beat the soft cheese with the icing sugar, lemon zest and a little of the juice to loosen if needed, very lightly whip the cream, then fold into the cheese. Fold in the raspberries. Sandwich the sponges together, then dust with more icing sugar to serve.
2. Stir together the polenta, flour and baking powder. Beat the vanilla extract and zest into the eggy mix, then fold in the dry ingredients. Spoon half the batter into each tin and level the top. Scatter most of the raspberries over the mix and poke in gently. Sprinkle one of the sponges with the 1 tbsp sugar. Bake for 20 mins until risen and golden, but still with a little wobble under the crust.
3. Open the oven, whip out the sugar-crusted sponge and quickly poke the remaining frozen raspberries into it. Bake both sponges for 10 more mins or until springy in the middle. (If this sounds too tricky, just leave the sponges to bake for 30 mins and add the leftover berries to . the filling instead). Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then cool completely on a rack. Be careful when turning out the raspberry sponge - slide it off its base rattier than turning upside down.
4. Once cold, beat the soft cheese with the icing sugar, lemon zest and a little of the juice to loosen if needed, very lightly whip the cream, then fold into the cheese. Fold in the raspberries. Sandwich the sponges together, then dust with more icing sugar to serve.
Chef
