Blueberry Polenta Cake is a delicious and tender Italian cake recipe made with fresh blueberries, yellow cornmeal, and lemon zest. This sweet treat is great for breakfast, dessert, or a midday snack!
You’re going to love this Italian Blueberry Polenta Cake recipe! This is a simple and delicious cake that’s subtly sweet and full of fresh flavors.
If you love easy Italian cakes, don’t miss my Italian Lemon Olive Oil Cake or this Almond Ricotta Cake. For another delicious polenta dessert, try my Lemon Polenta Cake or Italian Cornmeal Cookies recipe!
You’ll Love Blueberry Polenta Cake
Blueberry polenta cake is a tender and moist Italian blueberry cake made with cornmeal. The cornmeal gives these cake a slightly grainy texture that’s so delicious.
I love to make this cake whenever I have extra fresh blueberries on hand. It’s great for the summer and can be eaten as a sweet treat or is even perfect for breakfast.
As with most Italian cakes, this cake is subtly sweet with the perfect balance of flavor and texture. It’s great to make ahead and can be eaten at room temperature or chilled.
You’ll love how simple this recipe is and how it tastes even better the next day. It’s a great treat to have on hand for entertaining or whenever you’re craving something sweet.
If you love blueberry cakes, give this tested and perfected recipe a try!
Ingredients
- Cornmeal: use fine yellow cornmeal, also known as polenta. Instant polenta works fine in this recipe.
- Blueberries: fresh blueberries are best. If using frozen blueberries, let them come to room temperature then pat dry before adding to batter.
- Lemon: I only use lemon zest and not lemon juice in this recipe. Feel free to add in the juice if you’d like. You can change up the flavors by using orange zest instead.
- Butter: use room temperature unsalted butter. If using salted butter, omit the additional kosher salt in the recipe.
- Sugars: use regular granulated sugar for the batter and powdered sugar for dusting the top of the cooled cake.
- Milk: I prefer to use whole milk or 2% milk for baking. Milk alternatives could also be used.
- Flour: use regular all purpose flour for this blueberry polenta cake. Measure the flour for accurate results.
How to Make Blueberry Polenta Cake
Blueberry Polenta Cake comes together fast and is great the next day. Start by greasing a 9-inch springform pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray and lining the bottom with parchment paper; set aside.
Step 1: Mix Dry Ingredients
Mix together the dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt) in a medium bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Mix Wet Ingredients
Add the room temperature butter to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Use an electric mixer to beat the butter until it’s light and creamy; about a minute.
Then, mix in the sugar until light and fluffy, then add in the vanilla and lemon zest. Beat in the large eggs, one at a time, until combined. Then, add in the flour mixture and milk.
Once the batter is combined, fold in the fresh blueberries using a rubber spatula. Spread the batter into the prepared tin.
Step 3: Bake Until Golden Brown
Place the cake on the center oven rack of the preheated oven and bake until golden brown and the cake starts to pull from the edges of the pan.
When the cake is done, place on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the collar of the pan and cool completely. Place the cool blueberry polenta cake on a serving plate and dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Use finely ground cornmeal, which is also known as polenta.
- If using frozen blueberries, bring them to room temperature then dry with a paper towel before adding to batter.
- Run a sharp knife around the inside rim of the pan before removing the collar.
- Store leftover Blueberry Polenta Cake in an airtight container at room temperature for three days or refrigerate for up to a week.
More Italian Cake Recipes!
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Blueberry Polenta Cake
Equipment
- 9 inch springform pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour 130 grams
- ½ cup cornmeal or polenta (fine yellow cornmeal)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened 1 ½ sticks
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup milk (2% or whole milk)
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- powdered sugar for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter or cooking spray; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the butter until it is light and creamy, about a minute. Add in the sugar and mix again for about a minute on medium speed. Mix in the vanilla and lemon zest, then mix in the eggs one at a time. Add in the dry ingredients and milk and mix until just combined.
- Add the blueberries to the batter and use a rubber spatula to gently mix until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and use the spatula to smooth.
- Bake the cake on the center rack of the preheated oven for about 45 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and starts to pull away from the edges. You can also test for doneness using a toothpick. Cool on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes, then carefully remove the collar of the pan and cool completely.
- Before serving, dust the top of the blueberry polenta cake with powdered sugar, cut into slices, and serve.
Notes
- Use finely ground cornmeal, which is also known as polenta.
- If using frozen blueberries, bring them to room temperature then dry with a paper towel before adding to batter.
- Run a sharp knife around the inside rim of the pan before removing the collar.
- Store leftover Blueberry Polenta Cake in an airtight container at room temperature for three days or refrigerate for up to a week
