NEW YORK – A lemony polenta cake, the kind of thing that is fancy enough to feel like an occasion, yet simple enough to whip up on a whim, is rooted in Italian tradition.

I have baked more versions than I can count. But British cookbook author and food stylist Benjamina Ebuehi’s take – from her cookbook I’ll Bring Dessert: Simple, Sweet Recipes for Every Occasion (2024) – has made me rethink them all. Along with the expected shower of lemon zest, she stirs in a hefty dose of minced preserved lemon.