This one sounds a bit weird, but is delicious! It reminded me of meringues – the outside gets very crisp, but is somewhat fragile like a meringue. Unlike a meringue, the center is very dense. It’s sweet, and the polenta and raisins work together nicely. I mostly had this for dessert, but I’ve been told it was nice with coffee in the morning as well.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal (polenta)
• 2/3 cup golden raisins
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, and raisins. Set aside. Grease and flour an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2″ bread pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar until light. This starts off looking like it’s going to be super dry and not enough butter to come together, but just keep beating and eventually it will.

Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well mixed.

Gently transfer to the prepared bread pan.

Bake 75-85 minutes, until crusty on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen. Turn out on a wire rack to cool completely.

Golden Raisin Polenta Cake

From Just a Pinch Recipes.

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal (polenta)
• 2/3 cup golden raisins
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, and raisins. Set aside. Grease and flour an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2″ bread pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar until light. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture until well mixed. Gently transfer to the prepared bread pan, then bake 75-85 minutes, until crusty on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen. Turn out on a wire rack to cool completely.