Do you have seasonal food memories?
The first sight of a thorny bundle of blackberry leaves and flowers sends me straight to thoughts of summer evening walks; tupperware in hand, hypercolour t-shirt on proud display (showing my age, here). Blackberry and apple crumble with custard was the defining taste of Sunday lunch in our house, from late summer to early Autumn.
This Bramble Polenta Cake is without a doubt my love for blackberries enshrined.
Hot on the heels of my most recent foray into re-imagined traditional desserts – the Quinoa Cherry Bakewell – this cake has all the flavours of your favourite blackberry pudding, with some lovely new ingredient twists.
This cake is:
- the taste of blackberries and custard;
- fragrant and herby with thyme;
- sweet, but not overpoweringly so; and
- light, airy, soft and delicate.
I don’t often associate polenta cake with lightness; it is often a dense, crumbly and rich cake (as it should be). But, in wanting to create something that was a little different, and more of a bright, juicy morsel, I played around with swapping the more traditional mix of polenta and almonds for gram flour.
And oh, did it pay off!
The sponge is so light, yet creamy with a satisfying little squidge too. It is a true delight.
I’ve also been experimenting with different egg replacers, for those of you who want to try out vegan baking, but might not have ground flax seeds in the cupboard. Knowing that banana and apple purée both work well as vegan ‘eggs’, I turned my attention to soft stone fruits like peaches and nectarines. And, after testing different amounts and combinations, I can happily report that they work incredibly well!
The combination of nectarines, olive oil and maple syrup puréed together not only give this cake it’s wonderful texture, but also it’s intriguing taste of custard – or perhaps that’s just the wizardry of baking.
Whatever the magic behind it, this is such a tasty cake! And one that you can enjoy guilt-free. It’s:
- refined sugar-free;
- light on the oil;
- dairy, egg and gluten-free;
- perfect for just two – baking it in a small pan works really well and you’re not stuck with lots of leftovers; and
- it only takes five minutes to prepare. Five minutes!!
This is definitely my new favourite way to enjoy blackberries – what’s yours?
For more fruity berry and cherry recipes, take a look at this Blackberry Chia Jam, this Raw Cherry Lime Delight and these Matcha Raspberry Bliss Balls.
- 25g polenta (cornmeal)
- 50g gram flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 heaped tsp dried thyme
- Pinch Himalayan pink (or other good) salt
- 2 nectarines, de-stoned
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (or other liquid sweetener)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- 10 fresh blackberries
- Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
- Sift the polenta, gram flour, baking powder, thyme and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in the blackberries and set aside.
- Blitz the nectarines, maple syrup, olive oil and lemon juice in a food processor until smooth.
- Tip the wet ingredients into the dry and stir gently until all combined and you have a smooth batter.
- Pour the mixture into a 5 inch loose-base fluted tart pan, evening out the top with a spatula.
- Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. As polenta cakes tend to brown during cooking, cover with foil towards the end if you want a lighter colour (I usually check after 40 minutes).
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool before removing from the pan.
- Serve with fresh blackberries, coconut yoghurt or custard. Keeps in the fridge for up to a week.
To ensure this is gluten-free, use a gluten-free baking powder.
If you don't have loose-based pan, a parchment-lined tin will work just as well.
**This post was kindly sponsored by Seasonal Berries. The recipe and all content is my own**
What a wonderful summer dessert! Cannot wait to try it, but I need to know a little about the polenta you use, as I’ve never made a polenta cake. The polenta we make here at home is rather juicy before we bake or fry it. Would that work? Or do you use something thicker?
I hope to give this a try soon. In the meantime, I shared it as the Recipe of the Day on my Facebook page, Cooking with Whole Grains & Real, Whole Foods.
Hi Kathryn!
Thank you for your lovely comments, I really hope you enjoy the recipe when you make it. The polenta I use in this recipe is in the dry, cornmeal form – so it resembles flour in the bag. You can buy it like that in most supermarkets and groceries. I think I know the type you’re referring to, which is already mixed with water and set, so you definitely want the ‘flour’ type.
Thank you also for sharing the recipe on your Facebook page! I will certainly be taking a look 🙂
If you have any other questions, just shout.
Lx
Actually, I always make my own polenta. I’ve never purchased the kind that comes in the tubes in the supermarket. I haven’t heard of a dry form of polenta that looks like flour. Is that a mix of some kind? Could I simply substitute corn meal or corn flour?
Hmm, I think it must be a translation thing! In the UK, Polenta is mostly bought in bags – as coarse granules, perhaps also called corn meal? It’s what you cook with water to make the solid form, so I’m sure we’re talking about the same thing, it’s just known differently. I don’t think you can even buy it here in tubes, wow!
Made this last night, really pleased with the ease of how it comes together, but found the thyme overpowering. Could be my personal taste – have you any other recommendations for a milder herb?
Hi Sallyanne! Thanks so much for your comments, I’m glad you found the recipe easy to make. You could perhaps try using a pinch of fresh thyme leaves instead (or a smaller amount of dried thyme), or if you prefer other herbs, perhaps a pinch of dried rosemary? Alternatively, leave the herbs out altogether – the cake works just as well without 🙂