For quite some time, this was my breakfast cake. I would often start work a fair few hours before my fellow chefs and, as much as I adore them all, those quiet hours before the sun came up were my favourite in the day. With the whole kitchen to myself, I would slouch over my bench and write my prep list for the day while shovelling in a slab of this cake. Would we call it the breakfast of champions? It’s arguable! It’s one of the trustiest cakes I know. It behaves very well every bake, and is always a crowd-pleaser. The gritty texture from the polenta, and the moist almost fudge-like interior (thanks to the generous whack of butter) makes this a bit of a special one.

This recipe definitely doesn’t need an icing. A drizzle of honey, coupled with the candied fennel, and you’re sorted.

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