Skillet's all you need for upside-down polenta cake

(Upside-Down Polenta Cake with Fresh Fruit is a light dessert)

This upside-down skillet polenta cake has quickly become my favorite recipe for a quick and easy summer dessert. I love the taste of coarse cornmeal in baked goods, and this recipe is so versatile, you can use any fruits that are in season.

I first made this recipe for Easter, using blood oranges for the fruit. Michele over at Veggie Num Nums had made it using a recipe from Bon Appetit. It was delicious with the blood oranges and I knew I would make it again when summer fruits were ready. I used a big fresh peach and a bowl of fresh cherries for the topping, which is actually the bottom of the cake. The whole skillet is set in the oven and then the cake is flipped over when done.

What makes this cake so good is the Wild Hive polenta I used. Don Lewis' local business, which grows organic grains and micro-mills them, is just the best there is when it comes to baking. If you don't live in the Hudson Valley, use a coarse grind cornmeal for this. I recently picked up some of Don's corn flour, so the next time I make this I think I will skip the white flour entirely and use a combo of the corn flour and polenta.



This cake is so good any time of day. I love a slice with a glass of wine in the evening or a cup of coffee in the morning.
I think any type of fruit will work: think blueberries, apricots, even pears and apples. I thought the peach slices worked well with the cherries, as it created a nice spiral pattern and the cherries filled in all the empty spaces. The combination also tasted great.
Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature before getting started and whip up the egg whites separately.

Upside-Down Skillet Polenta Cake with Fresh Fruit

1. 1 cup sugar, divided
2. 3 tablespoons water
3. 1 stick unsalted butter, divided
4. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
5. 1/2 cup coarse cornmeal
6. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
7. 1/2 teaspoon salt
8. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
9. 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
10. 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
11. 2 large eggs, separated
12. 1/2 cup milk
13. Fruit

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a 10-inch oven-proof skillet, combine 6 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons water. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
• Increase the heat and boil the mixture without stirring until it turns a golden amber (don't let it get too dark).
• Remove skillet from the heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons butter. Set aside.
• Arrange the fruit of your choice over the caramel mixture in the bottom of the skillet, taking care to overlap slices if using peaches or other stone fruits, apples or pears and generously sprinkle berries around the slices if using a combination of fruits. Use enough fruit to cover the bottom of the skillet.
• Mix together the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Set aside.
• In a mixer, beat 1/2 cup sugar with 6 tablespoons butter and vanilla until light and fluffy.
• Add the egg yolks one at a time and mix well. Stir in the lemon zest.
• Add the flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with the milk, beating just until everything is incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add a tablespoon or so of sugar and continue beating until stiff.
• Fold 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the batter by hand using a spatula, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.
• Gently drop the batter over the fruit in the skillet, spreading evenly.
• Bake the cake about 45 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Let the cake cool on a rack in the skillet for about 20 minutes, then run a knife around the edges, place a plate on top and invert the skillet, taking care not to burn yourself if the skillet is still hot. The cake should slide right out.
• Allow to cool completely and enjoy as is or topped with a bit of honeyed whipped cream.