Orange-Almond-Polenta Cake
Ingredients
- 15 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature and divided
- 1 cup Turbinado raw sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon orange blossom water
- Zest from 2 oranges
- 7 ounces unsalted almonds with skins ground
- 2/3 cup coarse slow-cooking polenta
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
For Syrup:
- 1 cup orange juice from 3 to 4 oranges
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 2/3 cup Turbinado raw sugar
- Serve with crème fraîche
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Using 1 tablespoon of butter grease an 8-inch springform pan (bottom and sides), line the bottom with parchment paper and grease again. Wrap pan in two layers of aluminum foil.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat 14 tablespoons butter and 1 cup Turbinado sugar in a large bowl until light and creamy – don't worry if it looks gritty as the sugar will dissolve when it's cooked.
- Beat in the eggs, one by one, then stir in the vanilla,1 teaspoon orange blossom water and zest from 2 oranges.
- Grind almonds in a Vitamix or food processor. They should be coarse – do not grind too much (you don't want almond butter). In a small bowl, combine the ground almonds, polenta and baking powder, then stir into the butter-egg mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the springform pan and bake for 40–50 minutes, until the surface is light brown and the cake is coming away slightly from the sides of the pan.
- To make the syrup, place orange juice, 2 tablespoons orange blossom water, cardamom and 2/3 cup Turbinado sugar in a saucepan and simmer over a low-medium heat until sugar is dissolved and the syrup is reduced to about a cup and thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Remove the pan from the oven, leave to cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the cake pan. Remove the outer ring and turn out onto a plate. Remove the bottom of the pan and parchment paper. The cake is quite moist and a little fragile, so handle carefully as you remove it.
- When the cake is completely cooled, prick the cake all over with a toothpick or skewer, then brush generously with syrup.
- Serve in slices with a dollop of crème fraîche and an extra drizzle of syrup.
Notes
* Cake keeps two days at room temperature.
* You can use white sugar for the syrup but you should use Turbinado for the cake.
* Don't have orange blossom water? Substitute an orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau.
* You can use white sugar for the syrup but you should use Turbinado for the cake.
* Don't have orange blossom water? Substitute an orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau.
