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.
Servings: 12
Calories: 263kcal
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, divided
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, washed and dried, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage, washed and dried, finely chopped
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, divided; use half the amount if you use table salt
- ½ ounce dried porcini mushrooms, broken into small pieces
- 1¾ cups fine cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ cups Sherry Mushrooms see the linked recipe
- 1½ cups buttermilk
- 3 large eggs
Instructions
- Set the oven and prepare the pan. 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.
- Hydrate the porcini mushrooms. 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.
- Combine the dry ingredients. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl combine the cornmeal, flour, Parmesan, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Add the Sherry Mushrooms. Once the porcini mushrooms are soft, remove the lid and add the Sherry Mushrooms to them. Set aside.
- Make the batter. 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.
- Fill the pan. Pour the mixture into the cake pan, and use a flat-bottomed spreader to smooth the top.
- Bake and cool. 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.
Notes
Gluten-free: use the same amount of Cup4Cup Gluten-Free Flour, or another 1-to-1 gluten-free flour, instead of all-purpose flour.
Buttermilk substitute: mix 1½ cups whole or 2% milk with 1½ tablespoons lemon juice or distilled white vinegar. Let it sit for at least 5 minutes before using it.
Substitutions: Button mushrooms instead of Crimini, and Pecorino Romano or Asiago instead of Parmesan.
Sherry Mushrooms: you can make them up to a day ahead to save time.
Cooling: if you cut and serve it too soon after baking, it will have a much looser consistency.
Serving: it's best warm, but room temperature or hot is good, too.
Leftovers: once it's very firm (the next day), slice it and fry the slices in olive oil for an extra crispy crust.
Nutritional information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 581mg | Potassium: 259mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 389IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 168mg | Iron: 2mg