Cakes & Bakes: Lemon & polenta berry squares

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lemon & polenta berry squares on a cake plate with vintage Denby 'Arabesque' teapot | H is for Home #cake #recipe

This week, I attempted a cake (or more rightly, a bake) that I’d not done before – lemon & polenta berry squares.
cover of 1001 cupcakes, cookies & other tempting treats cookbook

It’s taken from 1001 Cupcakes, Cookies & Other Tempting Treats. It turned out really well, the berries kept it lovely and moist and the polenta gave it a bit of a crunch.

ingredients to make lemon & polenta berry squares
Here’s the recipe:

lemon & polenta berry squares on a cake plate with vintage Denby 'Arabesque' teapot | H is for Home #cake #recipe

Lemon & polenta berry squares

Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 175 g/6oz butter plus extra for greasing
  • 175 g/6oz caster sugar
  • 3 large eggs lightly beaten
  • 100 g/3½oz ground almonds
  • 150 g/5½oz polenta
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • finely grated rind of 1 lemon
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 300 g/10½oz frozen small berry fruits such as cranberries raspberries, blueberries, blackcurrants and redcurrants (I used a mixture of bluberries and strawberries sliced in half)
  • icing sugar to decorate

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Grease a 23cm/9inch shallow square cake tin and line base with baking paper
  • Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and beat together until light & fluffy, then gradually beat the eggs into the mixture until smooth
  • Add the ground almonds, polenta, baking powder, lemon rind and juice and stir together until well mixed. Stir in the fruit of your choice
  • Spoon the mixture into the tin and spread out evenly
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch
  • Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
  • Sift icing sugar lightly over to decorate and cut into squares