Orange cake is probably the one cake I just can’t stop making in the winter. I always have oranges at home, and it’s a quick and easy cake everyone likes.
This orange cake is quite special, as it combines polenta (cornmeal) in the batter. The result is a moist, melt-in-your-mouth cake that spreads the most addictive scent all over the house when baking. So good!
Orange, Polenta and Almond Cake
- Based on a recipe by Jamie Oliver with some adjustments.
For the cake:
150 grams soft butter
200 grams (1 cup) sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
60 ml. (1/4 cup) orange juice
zest of 2 oranges
200 grams almond meal
100 grams instant polenta mix
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. baking powder
50-80 grams sliced blanched almonds
For the syrup:
180 ml. (3/4 cup) orange juice
150 grams (3/4 cup) sugar
Icing sugar for serving
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 170c degrees and grease the pan.
- In a bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, mix butter, sugar, vanilla and salt until mixture is creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, while mixing between additions.
- Add orange juice and zest and mix until incorporated.
- Add almond meal, polenta, cornstarch and baking powder and mix just until incorporated.
- Pour the mixture into the pan, and smooth the top.
- Sprinkle sliced almonds on top and bake for about 35-45 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool completely at room temperature.
- Orange syrup: put orange juice and sugar in a small pot and cook until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup comes to a boil.
- Brush the cake generously with hot syrup and let it absorb the liquid for at least an hour at room temperature.
- Serve with powdered sugar.
Notes:
- Keep the cake in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Serve the cake at room temperature.
- The cake goes down slightly at the center when cooking and that’s fine.