Blackberry Lemon Polenta Cake

Blackberry lemon polenta cake! A tender, lemon torte studded with fresh blackberries. This is the perfect cake for entertaining. It’s so easy to put together in one bowl, a must-try!

I’ve made this Blackberry Lemon Polenta Cake so many times in the past few weeks. It’s adapted from the New York Times plum torte, which, if you haven’t made that one yet, is another one of my go-to entertaining desserts.

This one is incredibly simple to put together and can be made entirely in the stand mixer. Which, is my requirement when it comes to effortless desserts. I love throwing dinner parties, but I don’t like spending hours on making dessert.

Well, this one fits all my requirements– it’s always a crowd-pleaser, takes just minutes to put together, and can be made the morning ahead of time. It’s also easily adaptable to whatever fresh fruit you have on hand.

After making the NYT version so many times, I decided to add in some polenta for extra texture. I love polenta cake, and if you haven’t put cornmeal in your cake before, now is the time to do it! It makes the cake very slightly savory and really complements the juicy blackberries.

Ingredient Notes

• Cornmeal: I use regular cornmeal in this lemon polenta cake, the same I make in my favorite vegan cornbread recipe. Fine or medium cornmeal will work, but not coarse cornmeal.
• Unsalted Butter: The base of this recipe is creaming the butter and the sugar together. This is what creates a very moist cake!
• All-Purpose Flour: I haven’t tried this recipe with whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour, but I recommend using an all-purpose flour so the cake is nice and light.
• Blackberries: Tossing the blackberries in a little lemon zest and cinnamon adds so much flavor to this polenta cake– don’t skip this step!
• Eggs: Yes, this recipe uses eggs. While I have many vegan baking recipes on this site, the eggs are necessary here for volume, binding, and leavening. As this cake doesn’t rely on many ingredients, I don’t recommend substituting them with chia seeds or flax seeds, as it will not work.

How to Make (Step-by-Step Directions)

Step 1: Prep the Pan

A springform pan makes this polenta cake so easy to remove and place on your favorite cake stand! For easy removal, line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper and then lightly spray both the parchment paper and sides with cooking spray.

Step 2: Cream the butter and sugar

Cream together the butter and sugar until well combined. I do this in a stand mixer because it’s easier, but you can also use a hand mixer. This cake comes together in one bowl, so choose the one you prefer to use.

Step 3: Add the rest of the ingredients

To the same bowl where you just creamed the butter and sugar, add the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and eggs. Mix together until well combined. You don’t need to dirty any other bowls; simply add everything directly to the same bowl you used to cream the butter and sugar.

Step 4: Season the blackberries

Toss the blackberries with the cinnamon and lemon zest. If your berries are large, then I have them. Make sure to do this right before making the cake, as the berries will release too much moisture if prepped too far ahead of time.

Step 5: Assemble the Cake

Scoop the batter into the prepared cake pan. It will be very thick! I find it easiest to lightly wet my hands and then press the batter into the cake pan so that it touches all the edges of the pan. Then, lightly press the blackberries into the batter. You can do this in a pattern or place them evenly into the batter.

Step 6: Bake

Now you are ready to bake the lemon polenta cake! Place in the oven and bake for about 50-55 minutes, the top should be golden brown, and when a toothpick is inserted, it should come out clean.

While the cake is baking, I usually make the whipped cream to serve on top. You can use prepared whipped cream or whip heavy whipping cream in the same stand mixer you just used to make the cake.

How to Serve

This lemon polenta cake is perfect on its own, but I often serve it with a dollop of whipped cream. To make a simple whipped cream, I add heavy cream, a tablespoon or so of powdered sugar, and a little vanilla extract to a stand mixer and beat until soft peaks form.

You can prepare this cake up to a day in advance if you prefer to make it ahead of time.

Chef Tips for Success

• Use the Right Cornmeal: Fine or regular polenta is best for this cake. Coarse cornmeal won’t work the same way.
• Let cool completely: Let the cake cool completely before removing and slicing it. I usually let it cool for about one hour before I remove it from the pan and slice it.
• Press: The batter is very thick. For ease in pressing the batter into the prepared pan, I lightly wet my hands and then gently press the batter into the springform pan.
• Use parchment paper: For ease in removing the cake, make sure to line your pan with parchment paper and lightly spray it with cooking spray. This will make it much easier to remove!

More Cake Recipes

• Easy Vanilla Cake (One Bowl!)
• Vegan Orange Olive Oil Cake
• The BEST Vegan Chocolate Cake
• Vegan Coffee Cake
• Almond Cake with Strawberries
• Cinnamon Spice Apple Cake
• Vegan Carrot Cake

If you make this lemon polenta cake, make sure to come back to leave a comment and a rating. Your feedback helps other readers, and seeing you make my recipes makes my day!