Amor Polenta (Polenta sponge cake)

Name: Amor Polenta (Polenta sponge cake)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 0
Ingredients: Eggs (approximately 1) 0.3 cup; Egg yolks (approximately 2) 3 tbsp; Sugar 2 ½ tsp; Fine salt ¼ tsp; Vanilla bean 1; Lemon peel 1; Almond flour 0.3 cup; Type 00 flour 3 tsp; Baking powder 1 tsp; Fioretto corn flour 2.6 tsp; Butter ½ cup; Butter 3 tsp; Almond flour 2 tbsp

Vegetarian

Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Cost: Average

PRESENTATION

Recipe by
Iginio Massari

A delicate aroma, excellent fragrance, and a beautiful trunk shape, with even bworning. We're talking about amor polenta, a Lombard delicacy from Varese. Here it is still prepared according to tradition in pastry shops, cafes, bakeries and delicatessen. It is precisely for this reason that amor polenta is also called "Dolce di Varese" (the Varese dessert). The special nature of amor polenta lies both in the use of the typical ridged cake pan, designed and made specifically for the preparation of this cake, and in the main ingredient: corn flour. This type of flour is usually used for the preparation of polenta, which gives the cake an inviting golden color. As Maestro Iginio Massari suggests, amor polenta should only be served sprinkled with powdered sugar. If you prefer, you can further enrich this very moist and fragrant dessert with fresh or dried fruit or chantilly cream.

INGREDIENTS

Ingredients for a 8x3 inch (20x7.5 cm) cake pan: Eggs 0.3 cup (63 g) - (approximately 1); Egg yolks 3 tbsp (50 g) - (approximately 2); Sugar 2 ½ tsp (115 g); Fine salt ¼ tsp (1 g); Vanilla bean 1; Lemon peel 1; Almond flour 0.3 cup (68 g); Type 00 flour 3 tsp (45 g); Baking powder 1 tsp (4 g); Fioretto corn flour 2.6 tsp (38 g); Butter ½ cup (125 g)

For the butter and almond mix: Butter 3 tsp (12 g); Almond flour 2 tbsp (13 g)

Preparation

How to prepare Amor Polenta (Polenta sponge cake)

To make amor polenta, first prepare the butter and almond mix: put 1 tablespoon (12,g) of butter 1 and 2 tablepoons (13 g) of almond flour in a mixer 2. Blend to obtain a homogeneous mixture 3 and set aside. Then melt 1/2 cup (125 g) of butter over very low heat and let cool.

Whip the egg together with the sugar in a large bowl with electric whisks 4, then continue to whip the egg yolks 5 and the seeds taken from the vanilla bean 6.

Add the grated rind of an untreated lemon 7, salt 8, and the almond and butter mix 9.

Once you have whipped the mixture 10, move on to the dry ingredients: pour the almond flour, baking powder, corn flour and 00 flour 11 into a bowl, then sift it on a sheet of baking paper 12.

Add the sieved dry ingredients to the whipped mixture and incorporate them evenly 10. Pour in the melted butter 14 and stir again gently to obtain a homogeneous and uniform mixture 15.

Now butter and flour a traditional 8x3 inch (20x7.5 cm) amor polenta mold and pour in the mixture 16. Bake it in a static oven at 330° F (165° C) for 60 minutes. Once cooked, let it cool 17 before removing the mold, and sprinkle with powdered sugar: your amor polenta is ready to be enjoyed 18!