Fine polenta gives these beautifully moist cakes their distinctive golden colour and texture. Any frozen berry will work, and you can substitute lemon zest for the lime.
INGREDIENTS
70 grams pistachio nuts
¾ cup instant polenta
⅓ cup gluten-free plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
250 grams butter, very soft but not melted
1 cup caster sugar
finely grated zest 2 large limes
4 large eggs, size 7
juice 1 lime
1-1½ cups frozen blueberries
To assemble
1½ cups icing sugar, sifted
3-4 teaspoons lime juice
2 tablespoons pistachios, finely chopped
freeze-dried, sliced blueberries, optional (I used Fresh As brand)
METHOD
Generously grease 12 friand tins or small cake tins and line the bases with a circle of baking paper (my tins are 100ml capacity each).
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake.
Cakes: Put the pistachio nuts and ¼ cup of the polenta in a food processor and blend until finely chopped but not to a powder. Tip into a bowl and combine with the remaining polenta, flour, baking powder and salt.
Beat the butter, sugar and lime zest together until very light and pale. Whisk the eggs together in a jug then gradually beat into the butter mixture.
Add the dry ingredients and the lime juice and gently beat
to combine.
Divide the mixture between the tins and smooth the tops. Place 5-6 frozen blueberries on each cake, but don’t press them into the mixture.
Bake for about 30 minutes until the tops are golden and the cakes are firm.
Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the inside of the tins to loosen then remove and place on a cooling rack.
To assemble: Combine the icing sugar and enough lime juice to make a thick pourable icing, adding a little more icing sugar or juice if needed to get the right consistency. Drizzle over each cake and top with the pistachios and freeze-dried blueberries. Makes 12
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