4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Nigella Lawson's Blueberry Polenta Upside-Down Cake
Hello, thank you for coming to my dessert dissertation defense. Let's begin: The best cakes are upside down.
There are several reasons for this. Upside-down cakes highlight fruit, whether fleetingly seasonal or, in the case of canned pineapple, pleasingly and perfectly circular. They're easy to make and don't call for much equipment beyond a mixing bowl and a cake tin. Because they don't have any frosting, upside-down cakes are usually not too sweet. And they look stunning, with the fruit forming a mosaic on top of the cake, which, when you cut into it, has a beautiful ombré effect from top to bottom.
Nigella Lawson's blueberry polenta upside-down cake is a perfect example of the form. It's simple to pull together; just tumble blueberries over sugar in your greased cake pan, pour over your batter (no mixer or butter softening required) and bake. The polenta adds a subtle crunch to the tender cake, and the blueberries form a juicy, inky indigo topper. Serve with vanilla ice cream or nothing at all. Again, upside-down cakes like this are perfect as they are.
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Thanks for reading!
