Summer Berry Cake With Polenta Recipes

SUMMER BERRY CAKE WITH POLENTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Line a 24cm square or 27cm round shallow cake tin with baking parchment. Cream the butter and 175g of the sugar with a wooden spoon until pale and fluffy. Add the beaten egg and polenta and beat again until well combined. Stir in the ground almonds, vanilla extract and baking powder. Using a metal spoon, fold in half each of the raspberries and blueberries with the lemon zest. Spoon the cake mixture into the tin and level with the back of the spoon. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden and when a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup by heating the lemon juice with the remaining 50g sugar, either in a microwave on high for 2-3 minutes or by boiling in a small saucepan for 1-2 minutes until syrupy. Make small holes over the surface of the cake with a skewer and pour the warm syrup evenly over while the top of the cake whilst still hot. For a picnic, leave the cake to cool completely in the tin. If serving as a dessert, serve the warm cake inverted and cut into squares, with some single cream and the reserved raspberries and blueberries.

SUMMER BERRY CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• To prepare cake, first heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil or spray a 10-inch springform pan, and line bottom with parchment paper.
• Using an electric mixer at high speed, whisk eggs and sugar together until they triple in volume, becoming thick and airy. Add vanilla and lemon zest, and whisk to combine. Reduce speed to medium-low, and gradually add flour. Remove bowl from mixer, give a final fold with a spatula and pour into prepared cake pan. Bake until risen and light golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool pan on wire rack 10 minutes, and remove sides from pan.
• When cake is cool use a long, thin knife to split it into 2 thin disks. Place bottom half cut side up on a serving platter; place other half cut side up on a large piece of foil. In a blender, combine 2 cups strawberries, confectioners' sugar and lemon juice. Purée until smooth. Set aside 1/4 cup purée, and divide remaining purée between two cake layers, pouring over cut sides and spreading with a rubber spatula.
• In a large bowl, combine reserved 1/4 cup purée with 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup blackberries, 1/2 cup red raspberries and currants or golden raspberries. Fold gently to mix.
• Whisk heavy cream with vanilla until thick but still soft. Spread half over cake sitting on serving dish. Top with fruit mixture, and place remaining cake half on top, cut side down. Spread remaining cream on top. Cut strawberries into halves or quarters, and place in a bowl. Add remaining 1/4 cup each of blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, and toss to mix. Arrange berry mixture on top of cake, and dust with confectioners' sugar.

SUMMER BERRY STACK

Steps:

• Whisk 3/4 cup sugar, egg yolks, and 1 tablespoon lemon zest together in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until sugar dissolves and mixture is light in color, about 3 minutes. Stir in 2/3 cup lemon juice and 3 tablespoons butter. Cook, whisking constantly, until lemon curd coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let cool.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat two 9x13-inch baking pans with cooking spray and dust each with 1 teaspoon flour.
• Place 1 cup butter in a microwave-safe bowl; heat in the microwave until melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix together with graham cracker crumbs and 1/2 cup sugar. Press the crust into the bottom of 1 prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Leave oven on.
• Beat cake mix, water, 3 eggs, vegetable oil, and 2 tablespoons lemon juice together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth. Mix in sour cream; fold in blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. Pour 1/2 the batter on top of the crust; pour the rest into the second prepared pan.
• Bake the batter-filled pan in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool.
• Beat cream cheese in a bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in condensed milk until smooth and fluffy. Add lime juice and zest; mix well. Fold in whipped topping.
• Scatter dollops of lemon curd over every few inches of the crusted cake. Spread half the cream cheese mixture over the lemon curd. Flip the second cake onto a cake rack; gently place on top of the cheese layer. Smooth the remaining cream cheese mixture on top.
• Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 15-second intervals, stirring after each melting, 1 to 3 minutes. Drizzle on top of the cake. Cover cake; refrigerate until chocolate and cheese layer are set, about 3 hours.

BLUEBERRY POLENTA UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line base and sides of a 9-inch-square cake pan with baking parchment, and grease the parchment. Sprinkle 1/3 cup sugar over base of pan, and cover evenly with blueberries.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, 1 cup sugar and orange zest. Whisk until pale and thick. Add orange juice and oil, and whisk until blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together polenta, flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, whisking until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake for about 45 to 55 minutes, until golden brown and springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool cake on a rack for about 5 minutes. Carefully invert cake onto a serving plate, and slowly peel off parchment paper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SUMMER BERRY POKE CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare cake batter and bake in 13x9-inch pan as directed on package. Cool cake in pan 15 min. Pierce cake with large fork or skewer at 1/2-inch intervals.
• Add boiling water to gelatin mix in small bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water; slowly pour over cake. Refrigerate 3 hours. Meanwhile, toss berries with drink mix. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Frost cake with COOL WHIP; top with berries.

POLENTA PANCAKES WITH WARM BERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Pancakes:
• Place dry ingredients in a stainless steel bowl and whisk to combine. Fold in eggs and buttermilk with a spoon or rubber spatula. Stir in melted butter and set aside batter to rest for at least 1 hour.
• Heat a nonstick griddle over medium heat. Ladle pancake batter onto hot griddle, in batches as necessary, and cook until bubbles form around the edges. Flip pancakes and continue cooking on second side until set and golden brown. Keep warm in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.
• Sauce:
• In a saucepan, combine berries, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg and bring to a boil. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water, stirring until it dissolves. Add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce to thicken. Stir until smooth and simmer slowly for 2 to 3 minutes.
• To serve, stack 2 pancakes on a plate and top with 4 tablespoons of sauce.