Corn Flour Polenta Breakfast Cake with Blueberries
A tender, subtly sweet polenta cake studded with fresh blueberries and finished with a delicate almond crumb topping. The cornmeal gives this Italian-inspired cake a fine crumb and gentle corn flavor that pairs beautifully with tart berries. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Wait
- 15 min
- Total
- 1 hr 10 min
- Makes
- 1 cake (8 slices)
Steps
Before you start
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C)
- Butter and lightly flour a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan or 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) square pan
- Bring eggs and milk to room temperature—this helps the batter emulsify properly
- Toss blueberries lightly with 1 tablespoon cornmeal (from the measured polenta) to prevent sinking
Cream butter and sugar
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and 0.75 cup (150 g) sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3–4 minutes, until pale, fluffy, and increased in volume.
- Scrape down the bowl once halfway through.
- The mixture should look light and airy.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Mixture is pale and fluffy
Tip: Do not skip the creaming step—it incorporates air and creates a tender crumb.
Add eggs one at a time
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed for about 1 minute after each addition.
- Add the vanilla extract with the final egg.
- Beat until the mixture is light and fully incorporated, about 2 minutes total.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Eggs are fully incorporated and mixture looks smooth and creamy
Tip: Add eggs slowly to prevent curdling. If the mixture looks separated, it will come back together when you add the dry ingredients.
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup (150 g) polenta, 0.75 cup (95 g) all-purpose flour, 1.5 tsp (7 g) baking powder, and 0.25 tsp (1.5 g) salt.
- Mix until evenly distributed.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: No lumps visible, baking powder is evenly dispersed
Tip: Whisking the dry ingredients prevents lumpy streaks of baking powder in the finished cake.
Alternate wet and dry ingredients
- Add half the dry mixture (about 0.75 cup / 75 g) to the egg mixture and fold gently with a spatula until just barely combined.
- Pour in half the milk (about 6 tablespoons / 90 ml) and fold again until almost fully incorporated.
- Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and milk, folding until just blended—do not overmix.
- The batter should be smooth but still have some texture.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: No streaks of flour visible, batter is smooth and pourable
Tip: Fold gently and stop as soon as the flour disappears. Overmixing develops gluten and toughens the cake.
Fold in blueberries
- Toss the 1.5 cups (225 g) fresh blueberries with 1 tablespoon (7 g) of the polenta you set aside earlier (this helps prevent them from sinking).
- Gently fold the berries into the batter with a few turns of the spatula.
- Some berries may sit on or near the surface—this is fine.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Blueberries are distributed throughout
Tip: Coating berries in cornmeal helps them stay suspended rather than sinking to the bottom during baking.
Make almond crumb topping
- In a small bowl, combine 0.5 cup (50 g) almond flour, 0.33 cup (40 g) sliced almonds, 2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar, and 2 tablespoons (30 g) cold butter pieces.
- Using your fingertips or two forks, work the butter into the dry mixture until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized clumps.
- Do not overmix.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with visible butter pieces
Tip: Keep the butter cold so the crumbs stay separate and crispy during baking. Work quickly with your fingertips.
Transfer batter and add topping
- Pour the batter into the prepared 9-inch (23 cm) round or 8×8-inch (20×20 cm) square pan, smoothing it level with a spatula.
- Sprinkle the almond crumb topping evenly over the batter, pressing lightly so it adheres but does not compact.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Topping is evenly distributed
Tip: Do not pack down the topping too hard, or it will bake into a dense crust rather than remaining crumbly.
Bake until golden and setOven 350°F / 175°C
- Place the pan in the preheated 350°F (175°C) oven on the middle rack.
- Bake for 38–42 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake (avoiding the blueberries) comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- The cake will be set and feel slightly firm to a light touch.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Top is golden brown, toothpick comes out clean, cake is firm to a light touch
Tip: If the topping begins to brown too quickly (after 25–30 minutes), loosely tent with foil. The cake is done when it springs back lightly when touched and a toothpick in the middle comes out clean.
Cool before serving
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
- This allows the crumb to set and makes it easier to slice cleanly.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
+ Show details− Hide details
Ready when: Cake has cooled enough to hold its shape but is still warm
Tip: Slicing into a warm cake will tear the crumb; waiting 15 minutes allows enough setting time without it becoming too dense or cool.
Good to know
Tips
- Room-temperature eggs and milk emulsify better with the butter, creating a finer crumb and more tender cake.
- Polenta cakes benefit from being made with finely ground cornmeal (also called polenta flour). Coarser corn grits will yield a grainier, less delicate texture.
- The almond topping adds crunch and prevents the cake from drying out; do not skip it or reduce the amount.
- Blueberries release juice as they bake, naturally flavoring the surrounding crumb. This is why folding them in gently (rather than stirring) helps distribute them evenly.
Storage & reheating
Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The cake remains moist and the almond topping stays crisp. Refrigerate for up to 5 days; let come to room temperature or warm gently in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 10 minutes before serving. Freeze for up to 2 months, wrapped well; thaw at room temperature for 3–4 hours or reheat covered in a 325°F (163°C) oven for 15 minutes.
Substitutions
- fresh blueberries → frozen blueberries (do not thaw) or fresh blackberries, raspberries, or chopped strawberries. Frozen berries work equally well; do not thaw, as they bleed less if tossed with cornmeal before folding in.
- almond flour → fine oat flour or additional all-purpose flour (0.5 cup / 60 g). The topping will be less rich but still crisp and delicious. Use the same amount by weight.
- polenta (cornmeal), finely ground → fine cornmeal or corn flour (same quantity). Use finely ground polenta or cornmeal for the smoothest crumb. Coarser versions will create a slightly grainier texture.
- whole milk → low-fat milk, buttermilk, or unsweetened almond milk. Buttermilk will add subtle tang; almond milk will make the cake slightly less rich but still moist.
