Amor Polenta Cake is a traditional Italian dessert, also known as Dolce Varese. This sweet treat comes from Varese, a city in Lombardy, Italy, where it has been enjoyed for many generations.
The cake has a lovely golden-yellow color, thanks to the use of polenta flour, which is finely ground cornmeal. This is what gives the cake its unique texture and flavor.
In Italy, the finer polenta used for this cake is called Fioretto, which blends perfectly with the other ingredients to create a soft, delicate dessert.
As with many Italian recipes, there are different versions of the Amor Polenta cake, but the main ingredients remain the same.
The recipe has been passed down in Lombard families over the years, with only small variations in the amounts of each ingredient.
The essential components are polenta flour and chopped almonds, which give the cake its nutty flavor and crumbly texture.
Traditionally, it’s baked in a special almond cake loaf pan, but you can easily use a regular loaf pan or even a plum cake mold.
Amor Polenta is light, fragrant, and full of flavor. It’s a wholesome and nutritious dessert, making it a great choice for children and adults alike. You can enjoy it on its own or with a cup of tea or coffee, and it also pairs wonderfully with vanilla cream.
Ingredients
- Prep Time: 20 Min
- Cook Time: 40 Min
- Servings: 8
- 100 g (⅔ cup) all-purpose flour
- 120 g (½ cup + 1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
- 80 g (½ cup) of fine polenta flour or yellow cornmeal
- 100 g (~1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 2 eggs, medium
- 70 g (~3 oz) of whole blanched almonds
- the seeds of 1 vanilla bean
- 8 g (2 teaspoons) baking powder
- a pinch of salt
- powdered sugar, for decoration
Instructions
Step 1) - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, eggs, and sugar together for about 5 minutes. The mixture should become pale and creamy. You can do this by hand with a whisk, but if you have a stand mixer, use it at medium speed for a quicker and smoother result. Once the mixture is creamy, add the seeds from the vanilla bean and mix everything together until combined.
Step 2) - In a separate bowl, mix the baking powder and a pinch of fine salt with the flour. Use a flour sieve to sift these dry ingredients, which helps make the cake light and airy. Slowly add the sifted dry ingredients to the butter, eggs, and sugar mixture. Beat everything together until well combined, making sure there are no lumps.
Step 3) - Now, it's time to prepare the almonds. If you're using whole almonds, place them in a food processor and chop them finely until they become like flour. Be careful not to over-process, as this can cause the almonds to release their oils and turn into a paste. If you find it easier, you can use pre-made almond flour instead. Just keep in mind that almond flour will have a finer texture, while chopped almonds give the cake a more rustic, coarse texture.
Step 4) - Next, add the finely chopped almonds (or almond flour) and the polenta flour into the bowl with the other ingredients. Stir or beat everything together until all the ingredients are fully mixed, and you have a smooth batter.
Step 5) - Prepare your cake loaf pan by greasing it with butter and dusting it with flour to prevent the cake from sticking. Once ready, pour the batter into the pan, using a spatula to level the top so it bakes evenly.
The Baking
Step 6) - Place the pan in the center of the oven on the middle rack. Bake in a preheated static oven at 170°C (340°F) for about 40 minutes. You’ll know the cake is done when it’s golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once baked, let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then gently flip it onto a plate to cool completely.
Before serving, sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar. Cut it into slices and enjoy it with a warm cup of tea or coffee.
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Storage
You can store the Amor Polenta cake at room temperature for up to one week. To keep it fresh, place it under a glass cake dome or cover it well with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. This will help protect the cake from drying out and keep it tasting just as good.
If you want to store it for a longer time, you can also freeze the cake. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. In the freezer, it will stay fresh for about one month. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, let it thaw at room temperature, and it will be as delicious as when it was freshly baked.
Kitchen Tools and Equipment
Making Amor Polenta cake recipe is easy but you need these fundamental tools below for the perfect success of the recipe.
- A whisk to whip the mixture of butter, eggs and sugar and a flour sieve to sift the flour.
- We used an food processor to chop the almonds.
- And finally the characteristic almond cake loaf pan but the usual plum cake mold will also work fine.
Variations
- Gluten- free Amor Polenta Cake: For a gluten-free Polenta cake you can replace all-purpose flour with rice flour.
- Amor Polenta Cake with Alcohol: If you like a more aromatic flavor, you can add a shot glass of rum or of Strega Liqueur, an ancient Italian herbal liqueur colored with saffron.
- Lemon Amor Polenta Cake: Add the zest of half a lemon to the mixture to get a lemon-flavored Polenta cake.
- Amor Polenta Bundt Cake: An idea for a more elegant and yummy dessert, is to use a fluted tube cake pan. Add a layer of pastry cream on the bottom of the mold so that when you turn it over the cream will be on top!
History and Curiosity
Amor Polenta cake is a well-known dessert from Lombardy, especially in the city of Varese. This cake is still made in traditional ways in the pastry shops, cafes, and bakeries of Varese, which is why it's also called Dolce Varese.
One special feature of this cake is the use of a unique mold, specifically designed for its preparation. In Varese, this cake made with polenta and almond flour has been a classic Sunday dessert, often served during special celebrations.
Legend has it that Amor Polenta was created in 1939 by Carlo Zamberletti, a pastry chef from Varese, who wanted to use local ingredients to make something simple and delicious for his city. By the 1960s, it became a symbol of Varese, loved by many, including famous soprano Renata Tebaldi.
Recipe Card
Traditional Amor Polenta Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 100 g flour - ⅔ cup
- 120 g granulated sugar - ½ cup + 1 tablespoon
- 80 g polenta flour - ½ cup or yellow cornmeal
- 100 g unsalted butter - ~1 stick, softened at room temperature
- 2 eggs - medium size
- 70 g almonds - ~3 oz, whole and blanched
- 1 vanilla bean - for the seeds
- 8 g baking powder - 2 teaspoons
- salt - a pinch
- powdered sugar - for decoration
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, eggs, and sugar together for about 5 minutes. The mixture should become pale and creamy. You can do this by hand with a whisk, but if you have a stand mixer, use it at medium speed for a quicker and smoother result. Once the mixture is creamy, add the seeds from the vanilla bean and mix everything together until combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix the baking powder and a pinch of fine salt with the flour. Use a flour sieve to sift these dry ingredients, which helps make the cake light and airy. Slowly add the sifted dry ingredients to the butter, eggs, and sugar mixture. Beat everything together until well combined, making sure there are no lumps.
- Now, it's time to prepare the almonds. If you're using whole almonds, place them in a food processor and chop them finely until they become like flour. Be careful not to over-process, as this can cause the almonds to release their oils and turn into a paste. If you find it easier, you can use pre-made almond flour instead. Just keep in mind that almond flour will have a finer texture, while chopped almonds give the cake a more rustic, coarse texture.
- Next, add the finely chopped almonds (or almond flour) and the polenta flour into the bowl with the other ingredients. Stir or beat everything together until all the ingredients are fully mixed, and you have a smooth batter.
- Prepare your cake loaf pan by greasing it with butter and dusting it with flour to prevent the cake from sticking. Once ready, pour the batter into the pan, using a spatula to level the top so it bakes evenly.
- Place the pan in the center of the oven on the middle rack. Bake in a preheated static oven at 170°C (340°F) for about 40 minutes. You’ll know the cake is done when it’s golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Once baked, let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then gently flip it onto a plate to cool completely.
- Before serving, sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar. Cut it into slices and enjoy it with a warm cup of tea or coffee.
lyn spector says
In using almond flour instead of ground almonds, what is the measurement of almond flour?
Barbara says
Hi Lyn,
the same amount is fine.