BLUE CORNMEAL-PECAN-LEMON CAKE RECIPE

Here is a wonderful cake based loosely on the Italian Polenta Cake..this recipe makes three 6 x 2 inch cakes..you may halve the recipe and make a 8 x 8 x 2inch one instead.
They are beautiful flavored, not too sweet and great cornmeal texture and puckeriness (should be a word) from the lemon juice and zests.

PREHEAT OVEN 350F SHELF 3/4 WAY UP..do not place middle shelf as they have a high amount of sugar and the bases can burn.

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups cane sugar
6 large eggs lightly beaten, at room temp.
1/4 cup milk

1 cup all purpose flour ( if using whole wheat add 3 tbsp milk)..one of my clients cannot do whole wheat so I have used unbleached all purpose.
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups cornmeal..I used organic blue you may use white or yellow..if you use polenta use fine ground

1 cup chopped pecans   (may use dried fruit and no nuts or 50:50 nuts and dried fruit)
zest 3 lemons..wash the lemons in hot water, dry well,  then zest to remove any paraffin seals from the farms.

1/2 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed


Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy and the sugar is well combined, scrape down the bowl, add the beaten eggs in 3 amounts, beating well after each addition.
Scrape down bowl  (this is important to produce even crumbed cakes)..it is OK if it curdles.
Add 2/3 the lemon juice, all the lemon zest
and fold in the flour, baking powder and nuts.
If using whole wheat now add the milk.

Fold carefully into greased pans, The batter is thin and smooth tops.
Sprinkle with extra nuts if you like.

Bake on a cookie sheet for 35-45 mins..because of the high sugar content keep an eye on them after 35 mns..they have to be firm to the touch, as they contain more cornmeal than actual flour.
Remove from oven and cool in their pans.

Drizzle tops with honey, maple syrup or as I did, blue agave syrup..approx 2 tsp per cake, and  spoon over the remaining lemon juice, while still hot..allow to cool,
 if in a high humidity environment..cool completely uncovered;
if low humidity, cool covered to retain their moisture.

These like most cakes should not be refrigerated as this dries them out..wrap in waxed paper, then foil and store in a cool dry place.
I took mine from their pans just for the photographs.

These are great served warm with slatherings of sweet butter