Amor Polenta

Foto di Giulia Verdinelli

A polenta cake from Lombardy with a romantic name and a unique shape. The peculiarity of Amor polenta is the ridged cake tin, specially created for this cake. 

When I was a child, we used to get it from Marchesi, one of the best pastry shops of Milan,  and have it for tea on special occasions. Marchesi still make it and I still enjoy its intense flavour, the golden colour and  crumbling texture. 

Amor Polenta

125 g butter at room temperature
125 g icing sugar
100 g polenta flour
75 g white plain flour
75 g ground almonds
2 eggs
3 yolks
12 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon cognac
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Butter and flour for the tin

Serves 8
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes

1. In a bowl, mix the flours, the almonds and the baking powder. 
2. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs and yolks, one by one, and the flours. Finally add vanilla and cognac. 
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C. 
4. Grease the undulated tin for amor polenta with butter and dust with flour. Fill it with the mixture and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. 
5. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 20 minutes before turning out. 
6. Serve with a dust of icing sugar.