Lemon Syrup Polenta Cake

Serves 8-10

Ingredients
140g (5oz) butter
140g (5oz) caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
140g (5oz) ground almonds
1 tsp vanilla extract
85g (3oz) polenta, or other cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon

for the syrup
4 tbsp lemon juice (juice of 2 lemons)
2 tbsp water
115g (4oz) icing sugar 

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Grease a deep 18cm (7in) round cake tin and line it with baking parchment.
2. Beat together the butter and sugar either with an electric whisk or wooden spoon, until soft and fluffy
3. Add in the eggs a little at a time, whisking well after each addition.
4. Add the ground almonds and vanilla extract. Sift the polenta, baking powder and salt Add the lemon zest and juice and fold everything in gently with a metal spoon.
5. Transfer the cake mixture to a prepared tin and level the surface.
6. Bake for 1 hour or until risen, golden and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven.
7. To make the syrup, gently heat together the lemon juice, water and icing sugar in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.
8. Stab the cake all over with a wooden cocktail stick, making the holes almost to the base. Spoon the hot syrup over the cake.
9. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin before turning out and removing the parchment paper 

Taken from Allergy Free Cookbook

Notes: Makes a lot of syrup, majority does soak in. On second try of this recipe, I let the syrup dissolve for longer in the saucepan, and it didn't create a layer like in this photo, and the cake was even moister!