Amore di Polenta – Michaël Bartocelli.

17/06/20254passionfood

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Serves: 6 -8 people

Hello, hello! I know, I haven’t shared a recipe in a while, but I promise today’s recipe will be worth the wait.

I want to tell you about this fabulous Italian cake, « Amore di Polenta »! I had never heard of this cake before, but just hearing its name made me want to make it. Also known as “Dolce di Varese,” as it originates from the beautiful city of Varese in northern Lombardy. 

« Amore di Polenta » or « Dolce di Varese » is a delightful sponge cake made with polenta and almonds. It is baked in a special mold with ridges, but you can easily use a regular loaf pan as well.

In Italy, people enjoy this cake with a nice espresso or a glass of wine, celebrating the dolce vita! 

Today, I am revealing the elegant version of an exceptional chef, Michaël Bartocelli, the executive pastry chef of the Four Seasons George V hotel in Paris. This pastry maestro has decided to revisit this iconic recipe by adding Piedmont hazelnuts and a lemon paste, giving it a taste fit for the finest palaces. Who would have thought that a simple cake could achieve such sophistication? I really love this cake; it is just AMAZING! So moist and flavorful that I have already had to make it five times (yes, yes, you heard that right!). I even had the pleasure — or rather the audacity 😅, to give it to my husband’s Italian boss. When his partner, Francesca, asked for the recipe after trying it, it felt like winning an award in Italian cooking!

Get ready to love this special cake! And don’t say I didn’t warn you. Now, let’s go to the recipe. Buon appetito! 

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Amore di Polenta - Michaël Bartocelli

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 40 minutes
  • Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
  • Serves: 6 -8 people

Ingredients

Lemon paste :

  • 125 g of lemon , use an organic if possible, chef Michaël Bartocelli use lemons from Sicily
  • 15 g of cane sugar

For the cake batter :

  • 207 g of unsalted butter , room temperature, plus extra for the mold
  • 165 g brown caster sugar
  • 125 g whole eggs, equivalent of two large eggs
  • 70 g roasted ground hazelnut
  • 25 g ground almonds
  • 56 g fine polenta
  • 63 g all purpose flour
  • 1,5 g of salt
  • 1 lime zest, (preferably an organic one)
  • 2 g vanilla paste
  • 55 g of lemon paste
  • 3 Tbsp cane sugar, (for the mold, I recommend using Demerara sugar)
  • 2 tsp icing sugar , (optional)

Method :

  • 1)

    First, prepare the lemon paste:

    Cut the lemon into wedges and remove the central membrane. Then place them in a saucepan, cover them with water, and blanch for about 7 minutes after boiling.

    Remove the lemon wedges from the water, rinse them, and let them drain for a few minutes before placing them in a container to blend with the sugar. You should obtain a smooth paste.

  • 2)

    In the bowl of the mixer fitted with the whisk, add the butter and sugar, and whisk on speed 2 until the sugar is dissolved; that’s why it’s important to use fine sugar, and until the butter becomes pale and creamy. Don’t hesitate to scrape down the sides of the bowl to incorporate all the butter and achieve a homogeneous mixture.

    In the meantime, in a small bowl, beat the eggs with the lime zest and vanilla.

    Incorporate the beaten eggs into the butter mixture in three additions, and continue to mix for about 10 minutes. You will achieve a consistency similar to that of mayonnaise.

  • 3)

    Then add the dry ingredients along with the salt to the previous mixture, still in three parts. Lastly, incorporate the lemon paste. Use a spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl and ensure that the dry ingredients and the lemon paste are well integrated into the mixture.

    Butter and line your pan with brown sugar (I recommend using Demerara sugar), then remove any excess if necessary.

  • 4)

    Use a piping bag to fill your mold; it’s easier, and leave about 1.5 to 2 cm from the edge of your mold, as the cake will rise while baking.

    Tsp

    Bake in a preheated oven at 165°C (325°F) in fan mode for 40 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a knife; it should come out clean.

  • 5)

    Once baked, unmold the cake and let it cool on a wire rack before dusting it with icing sugar.

    Enjoy !!

     

Nutrition

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