This healthy olive oil lemon polenta cake uses grated lemon rind to give it that citrus flavor. It's paired with a nice blend of winter fruits, such as apples, cranberries, and pears that are, juiced and then mixed into a sweet compote.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Coat an 8-inch round cake pan with cooking spray; line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Coat paper with cooking spray. Set aside.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine buttermilk, oil, eggs, and rind, stirring well with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until moist. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in the pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
Combine apple juice and raisins in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and cook until reduced to ⅔ cup (about 4 minutes). Add fresh cranberries to pan; cook 3 minutes or until cranberries pop. Add pear to pan; cook 2 minutes or until pears are tender. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice.