Polenta Pound Cake With Peach Topping And Mascarpone Whipped Cream Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Cut one long strip of parchment paper to line the sides of the pan so that the paper reaches all the way around the pan with no gap at the seam, and stands about 3-inches high.
• Place 1 cup/200 grams of the sugar in a saucepan with just enough water to cover, stir well and place over medium heat. When sugar turns the color of maple syrup, take off the heat and add 2 tablespoons/35 grams of the butter. Swirl to incorporate and pour into the cake pan. Place the fruit flesh-side down in a single layer all over the caramel, cutting a few pieces smaller if necessary to make it all fit. You can cram the fruit; it will shrink as it cooks.
• Add almonds and polenta to a food processor and process until fine, then set aside in a large bowl with the flour, salt, baking powder and lemon zest. In the same food processor, cream the remaining butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, making sure each is emulsified before adding the next. Scrape the mixture into the bowl with the flour mixture and fold into the ingredients until smooth. Spoon the batter on top of the fruit and even out the top. Bake for about 2 hours, or until the the top is golden in color, crackled and firm to the touch. Set the cake pan on a rack to cool.
• Once the cake has completely cooled, loosen the sides with the tip of a knife and flip it over in one quick motion, directly onto a serving platter. Holding onto the upside down cake pan and the platter at the same time, shake and bump the pan a little, if necessary, to release the cake, before lifting the pan away. Gently peel away any parchment paper. Slice and serve as is, or with a little crème fraîche on the side.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Butter and lightly flour the insides of a 10-inch round cake pan.
• Sift together the flour, polenta, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a mixer, on medium speed, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add 1 cup of the sugar and beat until pale and fluffy Add almond paste and beat again. Blend in vanilla and almond extracts, then beat in the egg yolks, 1 at a time, being sure that each is mixed in before the next is added. Alternately, beat in small amounts of the sifted dry ingredients and the cream to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
• In a clean mixer, beat egg whites until opaque, then add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until whites form soft peaks. Fold into batter gently but thoroughly. Pour the batter into the cake pan. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 60 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. (Do not test or move the cakes before they have baked for at least 45 minutes since they are delicate and may fall.)
• Allow the cake to cool and when cooled remove from the pan and dust the top with powdered sugar. Cut into eighths or tenths.
• Serve this cake with summer fruits -peaches, nectarines, apricots, berries¿-tossed with a little sugar, freshly squeezed lemon juice and a pinch of gray salt.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to the batter alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Fold in the peaches., Pour into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 60-70 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired.

Steps:

• Toss peaches with 1 tablespoon sugar. Whisk cream and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until stiff peaks form.
• Line a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 3-inch overhang on all sides. Lay bottom slice of pound cake in pan. Arrange half the peaches on top in a single layer. Spread half the whipped cream over peaches, and top with middle slice of pound cake. Repeat with remaining peaches, whipped cream, and slice of pound cake.
• Wrap cake gently with plastic wrap, and freeze for at least 45 minutes.
• Remove cake from pan by using plastic overhangs to lift. Slice cake into 1-inch-thick slices. Serve immediately.