This lightly spiced apple polenta cake is delicious, easy to make and easily gluten free.
Apple Polenta Cake
This loaf cake is delicious, quick and easy to make as well as being easily gluten free.
Lightly spiced, moist from the grated apple, with a crunch from extra almonds it has a dense moist crumb.
Baking with Polenta
Polenta, or ground cornmeal makes a delicious alternative ingredient for a cake, adding texture, crunch and colour.
Polenta is naturally gluten free and is a popular ingredient for anyone who needs to avoid gluten. If you aren’t gluten free its possible you haven’t baked with it before, which is a shame, as it adds so much to cakes.
If you are going to bake for a coeliac friend please take great care over any cross contamination issues. A microscopic amount of gluten can do a lot of damage. Even a speck of flour in your sugar jar can be transferred to your bake and cause problems. You cannot be too careful.
Apple Polenta Cake
First, gather the ingredients and preheat the oven to GM 5/190°C/375°F. Grease and line a 1 lb loaf tin.
Fuss Free Tip
I like to use binder or fold back clips to hold baking parchment in place while I pour the batter into the tin. Remove them before baking.
Step 1 – Beat the butter and sugar together for a few minutes until fluffy.
Step 2 – Add the eggs and a tablespoon of flour. Then beat again.
Step 3 – Fold in the remainder of the ingredients (apart from the flaked almonds).
Step 4 – Pour the batter into the loaf tin. Smooth the top of the batter and scatter the flaked almonds over.
Step 5 – Bake for 20–25 minutes. When it is ready, the cake should be fragrant, golden and well risen.
More Easy Cakes
- Dorset Apple Cake – A classic British bake
- Marmalade Loaf Cake – coated with a marmalade glaze
- Olive Oil Cake – flavoured with fresh orange
- Easy ginger cake – fail proof, one bowl and vegan
Spiced Apple, Almond and Polenta Cake
Ingredients
- 100 g butter (or baking margarine – softened)
- 100 g soft light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 50 g polenta
- 50 g ground almonds
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1 apple (grated)
- 1 tsp flaked almonds (optional)
Instructions
- Beat the butter and sugar together for a few minutes until fluffy.100 g butter, 100 g soft light brown sugar
- Add the eggs and a tablespoon of polenta. Then beat again.2 eggs, 50 g polenta
- Fold in the remainder of the ingredients (apart from the flaked almonds).50 g polenta, 50 g ground almonds, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 pinch salt, 1 tsp mixed spice, 1 apple
- Pour the batter into the loaf tin. Smooth the top of the batter and scatter the flaked almonds over.50 g ground almonds
- Bake for 20–25 minutes. When it is ready, the cake should be fragrant, golden and well risen.
Charlotte @gofreecakes
Great to read this Helen. I too have a copy of this book. The points you make about gluten free cooking are very well-informed. You are absolutely right in saying you can grind your own flours using the Vitamix. It is always good to try new things when it comes to baking. My new favourite flour is teff flour. Very nutritious and makes great bread!
Helen
Thanks Charlotte, one of my friends is very allergic to nuts so I am very careful of nut cross contamination as she is a regular visitor. Gluten not at all – when baking I’ll use the same spoon for flour and sugar.
Camilla
Sounds like a really interesting book and I shall have to try this recipe as I love spicy apple cake!
Jacqueline
It does look wonderful Helen. I haven’t received my grinding attachment yet. Let me know how you get on with that.
Lancashire Food
I too have that book and am looking forward to creating the recipes. The steenberg spice sounds delicious. Very autumnal :-)
[email protected]
The best thing about this post for me is your star rating chart. Inspired! Especially like the 1 and 2 star rankings. This Vitamix machine does sound interesting if it can grind flour, although I don’t need any more encouragement to make bread.
I love your cake. packed full of lovely things and the koekkruiden spice blend sounds delicious. I now feel like changing my name to Custard too!
Homemade by Fleur
Do you know what I really like about this post? I believe that you think this book is worth buying, and as someone who might potentially need to be baking gluten free for my son soon, I really appreciate your honest review. The cake looks amazing too. X
Ren Behan
Really looking forward to your talk at Food Blogger Connect and this looks like a handy book to have on the shelf. Will look out for it.
Heidi Roberts
This book looks lovely, sorry I will miss FBC but hope to hear a summing up of your talk
Corina
Perfect for this time of year. I’m loving making spiced apple recipes at the moment.
Johanna GGG
sounds like a delicious cake! I am curious about what flour was used where you have used GF flour – I have tried the polenta and ground almonds combination for GF cakes a few times with varying results. I have a few GF people in my life so GF baking is often on my mind (I even have a bag of quinoa flour in my fridge that I must use) – will look out for this book
Bernie
My 13 year old recently diagnosed as Coeliac and I am struggling to find interesting things to make, especially treats/cakes etc. Would love to have a copy of this to increase my repetoire!! and restore sanity to my home.
Julia
Hi. This rating is based on – I think – a slightly older version, which used 50g flour, 25g polenta, 25g ground almonds, which came up perfectly every time. When I omit the flour, this is very crumbly. Have made today with GF plain flour, and it has turned out – once again – spot on! Thanks.
Helen Best-Shaw
thanks Julia, I will check. it is a very old recipe there may have been a mistake moving it to the recipe card.
Jeanne
Anyone have the Grams conversion into cups etc? Can’t wait to make it for
Xmas. Could you make in mini loaf pans?
Helen Best-Shaw
Hi Jeanne, I am in the UK so cook primarily by weight, this is an older recipe so it does not have a conversion yet.