Lemon Cornmeal Cake

adapted from Everyday Cake (Pamela Borgfeldt Taylor)

for Katherine KoelschKriken

makes one 8-inch round cake

1 cup unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

11/2 cup superfine sugar, divided

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind, divided

1/2 cup lemon juice, divided

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/4 cups ground almonds or almond meal

1/8 teaspoon salt

scant 3/4 cup Golden Pheasant polenta (fine grade)

1 teaspoon baking powder

sour cream, crème fraîche or ice cream to serve

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch round deep cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Beat together the butter and 1cup of the sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in 1 teaspoon lemon rind, 1/4 cup lemon juice, eggs and ground almonds. Sift the salt, cornmeal and baking powder and stir in until evenly mixed. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until just firm to the touch and golden brown. Remove the cake from the oven and cool for 20 minutes.

Make a syrup, placing 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon rind and 2 tablespoons cold water in a small saucepan. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a boil and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes or until slightly reduced and syrupy.

Turn out the cake onto wire rack; then drizzle half of the syrup evenly over the surface. Let cool completely. Cut the cake into slices, drizzle the rest of the syrup overthe top and serve with fruit and sour cream, crème fraîche or ice cream.

Our discovery of desserts at flour + water restaurant in San Francisco inspired a search for cornmeal cake recipes. Pam tantalized this one by adding a kumquat garnish.