Gluten Free Lemon Polenta Cake

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1. 1Step 1: Adjust the oven rack to the middle position, pre-heat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC), and line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (23cm) round springform pan with parchment/baking paper.
2. 2Step 2: Add the sugar and lemon zest to a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer, if using), and use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar.
3. 3Step 3: Add the eggs to the lemon-sugar mixture and, using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer fitted with the double beaters, whip them together until pale, thick, fluffy and about tripled in volume (the ribbon stage). This should take about 5-10 minutes on a high speed setting.
4. 4Step 4: Add the melted butter, oil, lemon juice and vanilla, and whisk briefly to combine.
5. 5Step 5: In a separate bowl, whisk together the gluten free flour blend, polenta, almond flour, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt, and add them to the wet ingredients. Whisk on medium-low speed until you get a smooth batter with no flour clumps. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally to prevent any unmixed patches, but be careful not to overmix.
6. 6Step 6: Transfer the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth out the top.
7. 7Step 7: Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 40 minutes or until well risen, golden brown on top, soft and spongy to the touch, and an inserted toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. If your cake starts browning too much or too quickly, cover it with a sheet of aluminium foil (shiny side up) and continue baking until done.
8. 8Step 8: While the cake is baking, prepare the lemon syrup – you'll need to pour it over the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.
9. 9Step 9: You can tailor the acidity and the amount of syrup to your own taste. If you're a fan of really tart desserts, you can increase the amount of lemon juice and reduce the amount of water – or even use lemon juice only (keeping the total amount of liquid at 165g or 11 tablespoons). If you want the cake to be EXTRA moist and really saturated with the syrup, you can increase the amount of lemon juice and/or water, but keep the amount of sugar the same (otherwise your cake could end up too sweet).
10. 10Step 10: Combine the sugar, lemon juice, water and lemon peel in a saucepan, and cook them over medium heat until the mixture comes to a simmer.
11. 11Step 11: Turn the heat to low and simmer for 3-4 minutes, then turn off the heat and cover the saucepan with a lid. Allow to steep while the cake is baking. Just before you pour the syrup over the cake, remove the strips of lemon peel.
12. 12Step 12: Immediately out of the oven, while the cake is still hot, prick it all over with a toothpick or skewer. This will help the lemon syrup to soak more evenly into the cake, all the way to the bottom.
13. 13Step 13: Pour the lemon syrup evenly over the hot cake.
14. 14Step 14: Allow the cake to cool completely to room temperature in the springform pan.
15. 15Step 15: Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer fitted with the double beaters, whip together the heavy/double cream, powdered/icing sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
16. 16Step 16: Remove the cooled cake from the springform pan and onto a serving plate, then dollop the whipped cream on top (you can use all of it to decorate the cake or reserve a couple of tablespoons for serving). Use a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to create a few decorative swirls and swoops, then sprinkle with lemon zest. Slice and serve.
17. 17Step 17: The gluten free lemon polenta cake keeps well in a closed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Allow to stand at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before serving for the optimal texture.