Strawberry & polenta cupcakes

Strawberry & polenta cupcakes

These cupcakes are little portions of perfection and are great to share with friends

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 12 cakes

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 15 mins

Cook time

Cook 20 mins

Freezable

un-iced

Method

  1. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases and heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest until pale and fluffy. Add the polenta and continue to whisk until combined. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time.
  2. Sift in flour and baking powder, then fold in quickly with a large spoon or spatula until you have a thick batter (the mixture may look lumpy because of the polenta). Stir in the milk to loosen, then gently fold in the chopped strawberries. Divide the mixture between the paper cases, then bake for 20 mins or until golden, risen and springy to touch. Cool for a few mins, then place the cakes on a wire rack to cool completely. The cakes can now be stored in an airtight container for up to two days.
  3. Carefully peel the cases off the cakes. Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl. Place the chopped strawberries in a bowl with 1 tsp lemon juice and mash with a fork until pulpy. Push through a sieve over the icing sugar (you only need a few drops of juice to colour the icing a rosy pink). Stir in more lemon juice, a dribble at a time, until you have a thick yet fluid paste. Dip the top of each cake into the icing, then top immediately with a strawberry half. Leave to set, then serve.

Per cake

271 kcalories, protein 4g, carbohydrate 40g, fat 12 g, saturated fat 7g, fibre 1g, sugar 26g, salt 0.19 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, August 2008.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • 2008-08-01 17:54:11.977999

    Julie commented on this recipe

    This recipe is lovely, I urge everyone to try it, so simple but really, really delicious, I made two batches in one morning, and they were all eaten in the same day ...... they look lovely as well. I have since substituted the strawberries for rasberries, and an other batch with cherries.... just as delicious, the polenta gives as coconut texture...... as I say, really nice.

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  • 2008-08-06 14:38:54.026979

    Sharon rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Fabulous as a cake, I doubled the recipe and made 2x7" cakes.

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  • 2008-08-11 14:50:27.607917

    sandie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    made these cakes at the weekend could not get polenta so I used coconut. They were really nice would make then again.

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  • 2008-08-20 15:23:13.987161

    Mrsnoonoo rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Really nice, Will be making again.

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  • 2008-08-25 09:20:47.478326

    Beth rated this recipe

    4 stars

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  • 2008-09-01 22:58:18.38936

    Bowerbird rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    These cakes are a visual delight, they're a little grainy in texture and not too sweet, and very filling, they went down well. Don't leave the strawberries on the top for too long, after a day it had virtually soaked up the icing sugar, still tasty though. <a href="http://bowerbird-illustration.blogspot.com/2008/08/birthday-boy.html">Take a look.</a>

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  • 2008-09-01 22:59:31.16133

    Bowerbird commented on this recipe

    These cakes are a visual delight, they're a little grainy in texture and not too sweet, and very filling, they went down well. Don't leave the strawberries on the top for too long, after a day it had virtually soaked up the icing sugar, still tasty though. Take a look. http://bowerbird-illustration.blogspot.com/2008/08/birthday-boy.html

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  • 2008-09-22 11:28:03.569023

    amandamagpie commented on this recipe

    Made these at the weekend and my whole family loved them. Very easy recipe and lovely texture. I agree about not leaving the strawberries on top too long because they made the icing go a bit strange. Will definitely make them again and will try other soft fruit.

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  • 2008-11-05 21:18:00.087239

    bethany commented on this recipe

    i really want to make these cakes but have no idea where to get polenta. Will cornflower do?

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  • 2009-01-12 22:57:44.626005

    Blackcat2 rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    These went down so well at work I made another batch for family at the weekend. The polenta makes the cakes really interesting with the grainy texture.

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  • Binder photo Jay

    2009-02-11 21:30:35.221588

    Jay rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Tried this for my Girlfriend and went down a treat. Although as I am only a bigginer to baking I did not know that Polenta comes in 2 types. A loose form and a solid brick. So that took some beating to get it to the right consistancy. But really did the trick.

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  • 2009-06-25 18:24:29.415724

    rochydooda commented on this recipe

    Really want to try this recipe, but don't know where to get polenta from. Does anyone know of a good substitute?

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  • 2009-07-06 19:25:58.457022

    pinkie rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Lovely texture, used loganberries instead of strawberries and omitted the lemon.

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  • 2009-08-09 19:00:23.622362

    jojocooks commented on this recipe

    Really want to try this recipe, but don't know where to get polenta from. Does anyone know of a good substitute? sometimes called cornmeal, most supermarkets stock it as good substitute for flour for gluten free people.

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  • 2009-10-27 21:22:41.771358

    Sarah rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    I have just made these today and the icing is incredible. It tastes so much nicer than normal icing with food colouring. It tastes so natural. I took the advice about the strawberries on top and just put some on a few of the cakes which were eaten today.

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  • 2009-12-02 21:56:45.560488

    seonadie rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Yummy, me and my hubby loved these cakes. Really easy to make and they taste fab :-)

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  • 2010-03-24 16:54:34.341596

    Poppy :) rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Val

    2010-06-23 11:48:18.976451

    Val commented on this recipe

    Lovely recipe, if you can't get polenta then use ground almonds or more flour and some dessicated coconut. Next time I make them I plan on topping them with the strawberry flavoured icing and a dobble of clotted cream

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  • 2010-06-24 09:04:58.583904

    agnes46 commented on this recipe

    I rushed to see this recipe, as I am coeliac and I use polenta alot in my cake recipes - but its got flour ugh!!

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  • 2010-07-12 14:30:33.211835

    Marmalade commented on this recipe

    I made these for everyone at work & was not sure how people would react as a lot of people had not heard of polenta & are sceptical about trying different things, but they were gone quicker than i have seen any shop bought cakes disappear. I have even had requests for more tomorrow. I think i know what i will be doing tonigt. 10 out of 10.

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Makes 12 cakes

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 15 mins

Cook time

Cook 20 mins

Freezable

un-iced

Ingredients

TO DECORATE

  • 140g icing sugar
  • 3 strawberries , hulled and roughly chopped, plus 6 halved, for decoration
  • lemon juice
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Per cake

271 kcalories, protein 4g, carbohydrate 40g, fat 12 g, saturated fat 7g, fibre 1g, sugar 26g, salt 0.19 g

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