Chef Nick Leahy of Saltyard’s Lemon Polenta Cake is bright from the addition of fresh lemon zest and a lemon caramel glaze that he drizzles over the top of the warm cake.
recipe 
yields
12 cupcakes or 1 (8- to 10-inch) cake
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup finely ground polenta or cornmeal
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1¼ cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 vanilla bean
2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
Lemon Caramel Sauce (recipe follows)
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons water
12 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus zest
1 vanilla bean, split
ingredients
Lemon Caramel Sauce
steps
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, warm buttermilk over low heat until bubbles form around edges of the pan, then pour over polenta or cornmeal in a small bowl. Let stand for 1 hour to soften.
- In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla and beat until blended.
- Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a separate bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add dry ingredients to butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk mixture. Mix until combined. Add batter to prepared pan and smooth cake surface.
- Pour batter into prepared cupcake or cake pan and place pan in a water bath. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
- Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes. While cake is still warm, drizzle with lemon caramel sauce.
Lemon Caramel Sauce
- Pour sugar into center of a deep saucepan, and add water.
- Bring to a full boil a over high heat, and cook without stirring until sugar is amber-colored caramel, about 10 to 15 minutes. Swirl mixture occasionally to even out color.
- Carefully add lemon juice and vanilla and wait for caramel to bubble and subside. Finish with butter.
Date Published: 03.24.16
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- From chef Nick Leahy of Saltyard in Atlanta, Georgia
