Savory Polenta Cake with Mushrooms

Savory Polenta Cake is a brilliant side dish to go alongside meats, poultry or salads. Vegetarian, with a gluten-free option, this recipe is full of delicious, fresh herbs and earthy, caramelized mushrooms.

Savory Polenta Cake totally proved me wrong in terms of thinking for something to be called "cake," it had to be sweet. 

Savory Polenta Cake with Mushrooms is deeply flavored and extremely hearty.

I was inspired by a sweet polenta cake, Pinza Della Befana, that I saw in La Cucina Italiana Magazine. It's a rich cake made with cornmeal, fruit, nuts, citrus, and fennel seeds.

While I found the sweet cake intriguing and will definitely try it soon -- I wanted to create something similar but savory. Hence this gorgeous savory polenta cake packed with Sherry Mushrooms.

Ingredient Notes

• butter - Unsalted lets you better control the salt in the recipe. It's melted for the batter and to grease the pan.
• sherry - Dry sherry gives the porcini mushrooms great depth of flavor.
• dried Porcini mushrooms - Hydrating them in the sherry mixture brings out their deep, earthy flavor and adds the delicious flavor of the sherry.
• Crimini mushrooms - These go into the Sherry Mushrooms that are folded into the batter. You can make them up to a day ahead. Substitution: Button mushrooms.
• Parmesan cheese - A full cup makes this cake extra savory and hearty. Finely grated is best. Substitutions: Pecorino Romano or Asiago.
• thyme, sage - Both of these add an earthy, warm flavor.
• buttermilk - In baking, buttermilk adds a creamy texture and slightly tangy flavor. It also works with the baking soda to help the cake rise. Substitution: If you need to, substitute the buttermilk with 1½ cups whole or 2% milk mixed with 1½ tablespoons lemon juice or distilled white vinegar. Let the mixture sit for at least 5 minutes before using it.
• eggs - Large eggs. If possible, for the best flavor and texture, use pasture-raised eggs - they're an ethical choice, too.
• fine cornmeal - Look for fine cornmeal, not coarse, for the best texture.
• all-purpose flour - For a gluten-free cake, use the same amount of Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Flour, or another 1-to-1 gluten-free flour.
• sugar - There's only 1 tablespoon of sugar, which is not enough to make this sweet. It's just enough to help enhance the other flavors.
• salt, baking powder, baking soda - I almost always cook and bake with kosher salt. If you use table salt, use half the amount.

How is savory polenta cake different from cornbread?

This savory cake is not unlike cornbread. It does differ slightly, though:

• It includes a generous amount of Parmesan cheese in the batter, which makes it a bit heartier.
• This cake serves twelve, and only has one tablespoon of sugar, so it's much, much less sweet.
• It's packed with vegetables and herbs.

How to Make It

- Preheat the oven to 400°F and use about 1 tablespoon of the melted butter to grease a 9 x 3-inch round cake pan. Then line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.


- Add the water, sherry, thyme, sage, 1¼ teaspoons of the salt, and dried mushrooms to a small pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Once it's boiling, turn the heat off, keep the pot covered, and let the mushrooms hydrate to become soft, about 15 minutes.


- Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl combine the cornmeal, flour, Parmesan, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt.


- Once the porcini mushrooms are soft, remove the lid and add the Sherry Mushrooms to them. Set aside.


- In another mixing bowl, whisk the buttermilk with the eggs and remaining 5 tablespoons of melted butter. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in this wet mixture and mushrooms. Mix everything together.


- Pour the mixture into the cake pan, and use a flat-bottomed spreader to smooth the top.


- Bake in the preheated 400°F oven until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Lightly cover with foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Let it cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then let cool for another 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe Tips

• If you cut and serve this too soon after baking it, it will be a much looser consistency than the "cake" you see above.
• Once the cake is golden on top, be sure to cover loosely with foil -- it will likely need to bake a bit more at this point, but the foil will prevent the top from becoming too dark.
• Should you find yourself with leftovers, this cake is also fabulous if you slice it once it's very firm (the next day), and then fry the slices in olive oil -- it adds an additional "crust."
• I like this best served warm, but room temperature and hot is good, too.

Salads to Serve with Savory Polenta Cake

More of My Favorite Polenta Recipes

I hope you enjoy and love this recipe as much as I do!

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