Italian Polenta Cake w/ Grapes

Grapes are a staple on my weekly shopping list.
I love to have them with cheese, as well as for roasting with vegetables.

They are a great grab and go snack, and deter me from eating the cookies (sometimes).

Recently, I've been hooked on Muscat grapes, but good luck finding them. I found them at Mario Batali's Eataly and they are the best grapes I have ever tried. So sweet, pink and luscious, they taste like wine!

I had some leftover grapes on a Sunday morning and liked the sound of this Italian polenta cake w/ grapes.

This is a typical cake Italians make to celebrate the grape harvest (for wine).

I used almond meal for the ground almonds in the recipe, and it worked out fine.

This cake was super moist and not too sweet.
We loved this for Sunday breakfast (with our eggs and avocado toast of course!).

Italian Polenta Cake w/ Grapes (adapted from Martha Stewart):

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for pan
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup finely ground toasted almonds
1/4 cup quick-cooking polenta or coarsely ground yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary (optional)
1/3 cup whole milk
enough seedless red or black grapes to cover the cake (about 1 cup)
turbinado sugar and sliced almonds for the top

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Brush an 8-inch square pan (I used an 8" tart pan, because that's all I had) with oil; dust with flour, tapping out excess.

Whisk together flour, almonds, polenta, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Beat eggs, sugar, and zest until fluffy, slowly add in olive oil.
Beat in flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour.

Spoon batter into pan and push grapes into batter with your fingers and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.

Bake about 35-40 minutes. Cake will puff up. Test with a toothpick, mine needed the full 40 minutes.

Let cool completely and cut into squares or wedges.

Great with a glass of vino too!

Enjoy!