Cakes & Cookies Dessert Gary and Jane Langton Provencal Recipes Taste

A Recipe for Citrus Season in Provence: Lemon Polenta Cake

Name: Lemon Polenta Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 90 min
Ingredients: 225 gr butter (softened); 1 lemon (finely grated zest and juice); 1 tsp baking powder; 3 eggs (beaten); 200 gr ground almonds; 125 gr medium polenta; 225 gr caster sugar; butter (for greasing the tin); 2 tsp flour (for the tin); icing sugar (for dusting the cake); Juice of 1 lemon; 45 gr caster sugar; 1 tbsp water

Lots of lovely fresh lemons in the market today and I promised my neighbour a cake for afternoon tea. A very English pastime, but not a typical English cake. The lemon polenta cake is also wonderful served as a dessert with vanilla ice cream.

Lemon Polenta Cake

A sweet and lovely alternative to traditional polenta. This bright and tangy cake stands on its' own or paired with ice cream, it is a must try.

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Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1 30

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Servings people

Ingredients

For the cake

225 gr butter softened
1 lemon finely grated zest and juice
1 tsp baking powder
3 eggs beaten
200 gr ground almonds
125 gr medium polenta
225 gr caster sugar
butter for greasing the tin
2 tsp flour for the tin
icing sugar for dusting the cake

For the syrup

Juice of 1 lemon
45 gr caster sugar
1 tbsp water

Instructions

Cake Method

Preheat the oven to 170C.
Cut and grease with butter, a piece of baking paper to fit in the bottom of a loaf tin.
Then butter the sides of the loaf tin and dust with the 2 tsp of flour.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and creamy.
Beat in the eggs and then add the lemon zest and juice.
Beat until well incorporated.
Carefully fold the Polenta, ground almonds and baking powder into the mixture.
Pour the cake mixture into the tin and bake in the centre of the oven for about an hour.
Check the cake after 30 minutes and, if it is becoming too brown, place a piece of baking paper loosely over the top.
Check to see if the cake is cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre of the cake – it should come out clean.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 10 – 15 minutes before removing from the tin.

Syrup Method

Meanwhile, make the syrup – place the castor sugar in a small pan and add the lemon juice plus 1 tbsp of water.
Heat gently to dissolve the sugar.
Then boil rapidly until the liquid is reduced and has become syrupy.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
Gently pour the cooled syrup over the top of the cake, allowing it to sink in.
When completely cool, dust the top of the cake with icing sugar.

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Tags:Cakes,Lemon Syrup,Lemons,Polenta,Tea Cake

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Gary and Jane Langton

When Jane was younger she wanted to be a show-jumper and, although she had some success, Jane knew she could never afford a horse that could take her to the top. Similarly, Jane enjoyed cooking and would have loved to be a chef, but she always knew that the unsocial hours would never fit with raising her family. So she stepped into the world of property construction and interior design, where she enjoyed a successful and fun filled career.

Gary went to a nautical school and always dreamed of going to sea, captaining his own ship. Although he managed to be selected for officer training in the Royal Navy at an early age, by the time he was 18 he no longer had 20:20 vision and his chosen field in the RN was no longer open to him. For a short period Gary studied quantity surveying before finally choosing a career in banking, during which time he lived for a period in New York before returning to London and ultimately running a global business team (involving much travel).

Jane and Gary met, via the internet, in February 2005 and their relationship took off. By 2007 they were married and, in early 2009, they both decided that enough was enough - the constant travelling with their jobs, rushed weekends together and too much politics in their business lives finally taking its toll.

So they decided on a total change of life. Jane had always dreamed of running a boutique hotel or upmarket B&B and pushed this idea which was accepted by Gary as he couldn’t come up with an alternative plan. The couple finally decided on France (proximity to their children in the UK and good weather) and spent about 18 months viewing 100+ properties in the South of France, from Provence to almost Spain and back, before finally settling (in December 2010) on an old stone house (and former silk farm) in La Bruguiere, a small village about 10 minutes from Uzes, France’s first Duchy and a beautiful little town.

The house renovation took 17 months and they first opened for business in summer 2012. As they end their sixth year in France the couple have no regrets and remain positive about their future.

Jane has finally managed to fulfil one of her childhood dreams of cooking professionally for others and continues to ride her horse. Gary works front of house at Mas d'Augustine their chambres d’hôte and (when asked) offers business advice to friends/associates in their location, whilst amusing himself by playing (bass) in a local French group. The couple recently started an additional business to project manage renovation works/remodelling (and, if requested, provide interior design) of holiday homes for absentee owners.

Life is too short to stand still and wait for it – Jane and Gary are firm believers that life is for the taking. Enjoy Jane's recipes here or spend a couple of nights to savour her cooking first hand.

A Recipe for Citrus Season in Provence: Lemon Polenta Cake