Advertisement
  • Newsletters
  • Subscribe

The River Cafe’s Polenta, Almond And Lemon Cake

896

  • Prep Time10 min
  • Total Time1 h
  • Makes10 servings
River Cafe Polenta, Almond and Lemon Cake

This easy cake from London’s iconic River Cafe tastes delicious no matter how you serve it—whether you enjoy alongside a cappuccino for breakfast or top with caramelized blood oranges and crème fraîche for dessert.

Ingredients

  • unsalted butter, for the pan

  • 1 lb (450g) unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 lb (450g) granulated sugar

  • 1 lb (450g) ground almonds

  • 2 tsp good vanilla extract

  • 6 eggs

  • finely grated zest of 4 lemons

  • juice of 1 lemon

  • 1/2 lb (225g) polenta

  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

  • 1/4 tsp sea salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). Butter and line a 12-inch (30cm) round and 3-inch (7.5cm) deep cake pan with parchment paper.

  • Beat the butter and sugar together using an electric mixer until pale and light.

  • Stir in the ground almonds and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Fold in the lemon zest and juice, the polenta, baking powder and salt.

  • Spoon into the prepared pan. Bake for 45–50 minutes or until the cake is set and deep brown on top. Cool in the pan.

Excerpted from River Café London: Thirty Years of Recipes and the Story of a Much-Loved Restaurant by Ruth Rogers, Rose Gray, Sian Wyn Owen and Joseph Trivelli. Copyright © Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray 1995. Published in the United States by Borzoi Books an imprint of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Find more of our favourite cake recipes

Get more recipes from the River Café.

This article contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.

Chatelaine celebrates, inspires, informs and empowers. We know that Canadian women contain multitudes, and we cover all of the issues—big and small—that matter to them, from climate change to caregiving, Canadian fashion and what to cook now.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Copy link
The cover of Chatelaine magazine's spring 2025 issue, reading "weekend prep made easy"; "five delicious weeknight meals", "plus, why you'll never regret buying an air fryer"; "save money, stay stylish how to build a capsule wardrobe" and "home organization special" along with photos of burritos, chicken and rice and white bean soup, quick paella in a dutch oven, almost-instant Thai chicken curry and chicken broccoli casserole in an enamelled cast-iron skillet

Subscribe to Chatelaine!

Want to streamline your life? In our Spring 2025 issue, we’ll show you how—whether it’s paring down your wardrobe, decluttering your messiest spaces or spending way less time cooking thanks to an easy, mostly make-ahead meal plan for busy weeknights. Plus, our first annual Pantry Awards.