Lemon Earl-Grey Polenta Cake

Bright and zingy in flavour and with a lovely grainy texture from the polenta, this loaf is optimism in cake form!

Using cold-pressed rapeseed oil will give your cake an amazing sunny yellow colour. The Earl Grey adds an interesting citrus note of bergamot. If you can, try to use loose-leaf, but if that’s out of reach, the contents of a few standard Earl Grey teabags work brilliantly, too.

Makes 8 slices (900-g (2-lb) loaf cake)

Takes 20 minutes, plus 45 minutes baking time

250 ml cold-pressed rapeseed or vegetable oil

250 g caster sugar, plus an extra 100 g for the syrup

4 eggs

150 g polenta

200 g plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 teaspoons loose-leaf Earl Grey tea

grated zest and juice of 2 lemons (grate the zest on a Microplane or fine side of a box grater before juicing)

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First, preheat the oven to 180C fan (400F/gas 6) and line a 900-g (2-lb) loaf tin (pan) with a strip of baking paper placed widthways.

Using a balloon whisk, combine the oil and sugar in a large bowl. Crack in the eggs, one a time, whisking between each addition.

In a separate bowl, combine the polenta, flour, baking powder and Earl Grey tea. Add the dry ingredients to the oil mixture, along with the lemon zest, and stir until just combined.

Scrape the batter into the lined tin and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until risen and golden. About 5 minutes before the cooking time is up, pour the lemon juice into a small pan and add the sugar for the syrup. Heat over a low–medium heat until you have a glossy syrup. Remove from the heat.

Once cooked, remove the cake from the oven. Using a skewer or tip of a sharp knife, gently poke 8 holes in the top of the cake while still in the tin and pour the syrup over. Leave to cool. Once cool, lift the cake out of the tin using the strip of baking paper and cut into slices.

Thanks to the lemon syrup, this loaf cake keeps well in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days.

Find this recipe and other delicious cake recipes in my Lazy Baking cookbook - signed copies available!