Almond Polenta Cake with Rosemary Syrup

We often talk about food and wine pairings and particularly how well a certain wine might compliment a specific dish. However it is more unusual to say this is the cake to serve with a specific wine.  

For me, this delicious almond cake infused with lemon and rosemary is the perfect partner for good fizz. I am not one of these English wine producers who denigrate the 330-year tradition of Champagne. On the contrary, I adore the stuff, but lots of the English sparklers, including our own, are now the equal to champagne - we are achieving fabulous retention of fruit and fine balance. Try this Polenta cake over Easter paired with bubbles, you won’t be disappointed.

Ingredients For a 20cm springform cake tin

225g unsalted Butter, softened
225g Caster Sugar
3 Eggs
400g Ground Almonds
1 Lemon, zest and juice
60g Polenta Flour
½ teaspoon Baking Powder
A Pinch of Salt
A little Butter and Plain Flour for the cake tin

For the Rosemary Syrup
110g Caster Sugar
2 tablespoon Water
2 Lemons, juice and zest
3 Sprigs of Rosemary, leaves off the stem 

Method

• Cream the butter and sugar together in a table-top mixer until pale and fluffy.

• Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the ground almond.

• Remove the bowl from the mixer; use a spatula to gently fold in the lemon, polenta, baking powder and salt.

• Butter the cake tin and dust the sides with flour, transfer the cake mix to the tin, spread it out evenly. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 175c for 40 minutes.

• Prepare the syrup. Put the sugar, water, lemon and rosemary in a small pan over a gentle heat, simmer for 10 minutes.

• Check the cake is cooked through; it should be brown on top and moist in the centre. Remove from the tin and place on wire cooling rack. Whilst the cake is still warm, use a skewer to prick the top all over, pour the hot syrup over allowing it to soak in.

• Allow the cake to cool, store in an airtight container until ready to serve with a delicious glass of ice-cold sparkling wine.