Blueberry Polenta Upside-Down Cake
Updated May 11, 2025
Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
Vegetable oil for greasing pan
1 ⅓ cup sugar, divided
3 cups blueberries
2 large eggs
Finely grated zest of 1 large orange
⅔ cup orange juice
⅔ cup olive oil (not extra virgin) or sunflower oil
½ cup regular or instant polenta
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Nutritional analysis per serving (9 to 12 servings)
46 grams carbs; 31 milligrams cholesterol; 327 calories; 7 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 15 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 171 milligrams sodium; 3 grams protein; 29 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line base and sides of a 9-inch-square cake pan with baking parchment, and grease the parchment. Sprinkle ⅓ cup sugar over base of pan, and cover evenly with blueberries.
- Step 2
In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, 1 cup sugar and orange zest. Whisk until pale and thick. Add orange juice and oil, and whisk until blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together polenta, flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, whisking until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.
- Step 3
Bake for about 45 to 55 minutes, until golden brown and springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool cake on a rack for about 5 minutes. Carefully invert cake onto a serving plate, and slowly peel off parchment paper. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Private Notes
Comments
I was determined to use what I had. So I substituted frozen blueberries, butter and grapeseed oil, and whole wheat ffour and corn flour. I cut the formula in half and used a small, round cast iron pan because that's all I had. I also forgot the wax paper, and probably overcooked it given the halved formula. And it still turned out very well. This is a forgiving, hard-to-screw-up formula/recipe.
Why do you stipulate olive oil, not Virgin olive oil for this recipe?
I substituted the zest of 2 lemons for the orange zest, and also added a sprinkling of lemon zest to the blueberries themselves. This is insanely delicious. I disagree with reviewers who find it too sweet, I would say it's not very sweet at all, perfect for breakfast or tea. Fine-ground cornmeal works best; stone-ground will leave a few crunchy bits. I've used several different kinds of oil, I honestly don't think it matters much. Finally, this cake is best the next day.
What other seasonal fruits work for this recipe? I was thinking of doing mixed berries instead.
Works perfectly as a gluten-free dessert. I used Happy Day GF baking flour available in bulk bins, and gritty stone ground polenta. Perfection!
This is a never-fail recipe for me. I love it. Super easy and delicious every time, and really versatile. I bake in a 9” round pan at 350 and it’s done in 45 mins. Most recently, I used peaches and added a tsp of cinnamon to the sugar base. It turned out great, though I think blueberries are a better complement. Keen to try other fruits in the future.