You guys, I don’t know how much more I can take of winter. It’s been raining non-stop for what feel likes ages now, and it isn’t the kind of rain Seattle normally gets, which is a light spritz. Nope, we are talking torrential downpour kind of rain. I’m almost considering buying a ticket to California just so I can walk around without five thousand layers on. GAH!
To combat my winter blues, I made this Lemon Polenta Pound Cake from Deborah Madison. I tweaked a few ingredients, like adding lemon juice and using coarse ground cornmeal instead of fine, because I’m all about texture. What you get is a light pound cake with tons of bright lemon flavor.
Light and pound cake usually aren’t paired together. However, this cake is the exception. It only has ½ cup of butter. I say only because most pound cakes have 2 cups, or something absurd like that. The other fat in the recipe is from whole milk yogurt so you don’t loose the decadence of a pound cake, but with fewer calories.
As I shoved a still warm from the oven slice of Lemon Polenta Pound Cake in my mouth, it was like spring has finally arrived. Enjoy.
If you decide to take a chance on this Lemon Polenta Pound Cake, don’t forget to #oldamericanrecipes on Instagram so I can see it. High five!
Lemon polenta pound cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup whole milk yogurt
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons course ground cornmeal
- 1 cup flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 5 by 8 inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, toss together sugar and lemon zest, until super fragrant. Add in butter. Cream together butter, lemon sugar, and lemon juice for about 3 minutes. You want a light and fluffy texture.
- Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla extract and whole milk yogurt. Stir in the cornmeal, and the rest of the dry ingredients.
- Spoon the batter into the pan, smooth the top, then give the pan a sharp rap to remove any air bubbles. Bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour, or until golden brown.
