Honey Butter Blackberry Lemon Polenta Cake

This honey butter blackberry lemon polenta cake is a rustic, simple and beautiful cake. The perfect combination of lemon, polenta and bursting with berries.

Would you look at the time? It’s cake-o’clock!

Time to grab a container of blackberries, some polenta {maybe some vanilla ice cream because as you can see I clearly forgot} and a fork.

I literally went to bed dreaming about this cake. True story. I do this sort of thing all the time… sitting at a traffic light *bing!* a recipe pops in my head. At the grocery store and see a container of sunchokes *bing-bing*. But most of the time it’s when I’m lying in bed trying to fall asleep, wishing I didn’t have that late cup of coffee.

So yeah, this cake.

This cake has it all. It’s got amazing texture from the coarse polenta, bursts of sweetness from the honey-bathed berries and a bright tartness from the lemon zest.

The bonus: it doubles as not only a dessert, but as a breakfast cake too. Really. Like eat it along with your coffee or oj, or in your car on your way to work or something.

First rinse those gorgeous, plump blackberries.

Then throw them into a bowl and drizzle with the warm, honey-butter.

Next, give them a toss and set off to the side and move on to cake-making.

Then preheat your oven to 350° and butter and lightly dust a 9″ springform pan with a little polenta.

Next, in a mixing bowl, throw in the cup of polenta, flour, the two teaspoons of baking powder and a quarter teaspoon of both kosher salt and baking soda.

Then give it a quick whisk and set it off to the side for a smidge.

Next, in the bowl of your stand mixer; add in two sticks of softened, unsalted butter, 1 cup of cane sugar and the zest of two big, fat lemons.

Then turn your mixer on medium and mix until light, fluffy and sort of looks like frosting.

Remember to scrape down the inside of  the bowl.

Next add the dry ingredients into the mixer and blend just until crumbly.

Then measure out the quarter cup of buttermilk and crack in three eggs and give it a few stirs with a fork and pour it into the bowl.

Next grab a spatula and gently fold the buttermilk/egg mixture into the crumbly crumbs.

Then spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out smooth and flat.

Drop the honey-glistened berries on top. Now I pressed mine in a smidge and then sink down ask the cake puffs. BUT you can totally just leave them on top and they will sink a little less and you’ll still be able to see them peeking out.

Lastly, pour the remaining honey-butter over top of the cake and slide into your preheated 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes or until a cake-tester comes out with only a few crumbs attached.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes before unbuckling it and revealing the masterpiece within.

See? A total unassuming cake.

Loooooook aaaaaat thaaaaat! It may be the prettiest un-frosted cake I’ve ever seen. The blackberries… are like, as my dad would say, a surrrrrrprise.

Annnnnd serve warm.

Gah! What can I say about this cake? It’s beautiful, rustic, texturally perfect and so, so simple and unpretentious.

What are you waiting for… get your forks ready… I see this honey butter blackberry lemon polenta cake in your future!

Happy weekend friends!

My cookbook Simply Scratch : 120 Wholesome Homemade Recipes Made Easy is now available! CLICK HERE for details and THANK YOU in advance!

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Yield: 8 servings

Honey Butter Blackberry Lemon Polenta Cake

A rustically, simple and beautiful cake. The perfect combination of lemon, polenta and bursting with berries. This recipe yields 1 (9-inch) cake or about 8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 50 minutes mins

Additional Time: 5 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 6 ounces blackberries, washed
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
• 1 cup cane sugar
• 2 large lemons, zested
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup polenta, plus more for pan
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup buttermilk

Equipment

• Nordic Ware Leakproof Springform Pan, 10 Cup, 9 Inch

Instructions 

• Preheat your oven to 350°. Generously butter a 9" springform pan. Add about two tablespoons of polenta into the pan and turn the pan to coat in a thin layer of polenta, Shake out and discard the excess polenta in the pan.
• In a small sauce pan add the honey and 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Once the butter has melted and the honey has thinned (do not bring to a boil) pour over the blackberries and stir to coat.
• To a medium-sized bowl add in the flour, polenta, salt, baking soda and powder, whisk to combine.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer add the two sticks of butter, 1 cup cane sugar and the lemon zest. Blend on medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Add in the dry ingredients. Mix until incorporated and crumbly.
• Measure 1/4 cup of buttermilk into a liquid measuring cup, crack in the three eggs and lightly beat.
• Remove the bowl from your mixer and pour in the buttermilk/egg mixture. Using a rubber spatula, stir by hand until just combined.
• Spoon the cake batter into the prepared springform pan. Dot the cake batter with the honeyed blackberries. Pour the remaining honey over top of the cake and berries.
• Bake for 45-50 minutes on the center rack in your oven. Once a cake tester comes out clean or with only a few crumbs, the cake is done.
• Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before releasing the spring. Let cool slightly before cutting and serving. This cake is excellent still warm.

Serving: 1piece, Calories: 496kcal, Carbohydrates: 62g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 132mg, Sodium: 252mg, Potassium: 162mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 32g, Vitamin A: 917IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 101mg, Iron: 2mg

Author: Laurie McNamara

Course: Desserts & Sweet Treats

Cuisine: American, Italian

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