Mother's Day recipe: Strawberry polenta cake

Mother's Day is around the corner, and procrastinators who haven't made a brunch reservation might be out of luck.

Yes, but: There's plenty of time to perfect this stunning but simple recipe before next Sunday.

The dish: Strawberry polenta cake from Chicagoan Jeanine Donofrio's new cookbook, "Love and Lemons Simple Feel Good Food."

• Donofrio says it's perfect for "spring celebrations."

What she's saying: "It's super simple — you can get it in the oven in 15 minutes! — but the strawberry and almond topping makes it look so pretty and festive."

• "Moist, tender, and full of bright lemon flavor, it would be the perfect treat for a Mother's Day brunch."

Her pro tip: Dust the cake with powdered sugar for an extra-special finishing touch.

The recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• ½ cup medium grind cornmeal, spooned and leveled
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ cup cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• ¾ cup whole milk Greek yogurt
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 1½ cups small strawberries, halved
• ¼ cup sliced almonds

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350°F.

• Lightly oil a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and lemon zest. Add the yogurt, olive oil, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract and whisk to combine.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Don't overmix.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and top with the strawberries and almonds.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let cool completely before slicing and serving.