BREAKFAST POLENTA CAKE WITH KAMUT CRUNCH TOPPING

Cake

1¼ cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup coarse, whole-grain polenta

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs, at room temperature

³⁄₄ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for greasing the baking pan

Topping

½ cup Kamut flakes

¼ cup whole wheat pastry flour

3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 tablespoon maple syrup

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

1. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch round springform pan with a little butter on a wadded-up paper towel or piece of wax paper.

2. To make the cake: Whisk the whole wheat pastry flour, polenta, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

3. Use an electric mixer at medium speed to beat the eggs and granulated sugar in a large bowl until creamy, light, and pale yellow, about 5 minutes. Seriously. The stuff has to double in volume.

4. Beat in the orange zest and vanilla. Scrape down and remove the beaters, dump in the flour mixture, and stir with a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon just until there are no pockets of dry flour in the batter. Pour in the melted butter and stir until incorporated. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

5. To make the topping: Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl—the Kamut flakes, whole wheat pastry flour, brown sugar, melted butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt. Sprinkle and crumble this mixture all over the top of the batter.

6. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with a couple of moist crumbs attached to it, about 30 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then unlatch and remove the sides of the springform pan. Slice some warm wedges—or continue cooling the cake to room temperature.

SERVES 12 to 16

Active time: 20 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Make ahead: Store under a cake saver at room temperature for up to 2 days. Or, when cooled, wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and store them in the freezer for up to 4 months.

CHEF IT UP!

Turn a wedge of cake on its side on a plate and spoon a dollop of strawberry or apricot preserves over the slice. And go ahead, add a little crème fraîche.

TESTERS’ NOTES

This cake has a coarse, grainy crumb. Remember: It’s not a cornmeal cake but a polenta cake, ever so much more satisfying in the morning.
This cake tastes better with a topping made from grade A dark amber maple syrup—or even grade B maple syrup.
We used kamut flakes in the topping because we liked their intense chewiness against the cake’s crumb. However, you could use wheat or spelt flakes, if you prefer.
Individual wedges freeze beautifully if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and sealed in a plastic bag. Set the frozen wedges out on the counter the night before to enjoy them the next morning.

Quinoa Cashew Muffins and Breakfast Polenta Cake with Kamut Crunch Topping