Give your dessert an Italian flavour with this moist, fruity and ever-so zesty polenta cake by Dr. Oetker. Polenta and ground almonds make for a great gluten-free alternative to flour, whilst also giving this cake its delightful yellow colour and wonderfully soft texture.
Zesty Orange Polenta Cake
Ingredients (8 servings):
- 175 ml Olive Oil light
- 250 g Caster Sugar
- Medium Eggs x 2
- 150 g Ground Almonds
- Orange Zest from 1 orange
- Orange Juice from 1 orange
- 7 ½ g Fresh Rosemary chopped
- 100 g Polenta or fine cornmeal
- Dr. Oetker Ground Arrowroot Sachet (1 tbsp)
- 25 g Poppy Seeds
- Dr. Oetker Baking Powder Sachet (1 tsp)
- Fresh Rosemary Sprig to decorate
- 50 g Caster Sugar
- Dr. Oetker Free Range Egg White Powder Sachet
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C Fan, Gas Mark 4). Grease and line the base and sides of an 18cm (7 in) round cake tin with baking parchment. It should be at least 4cm (1 ¾ inch) deep.
- Whisk together the olive oil with 175g (6oz) sugar and eggs. Add the ground almonds, orange zest, rosemary, polenta, Ground Arrowroot, poppy seeds and Baking Powder. Mix together well and pour into the prepared tin and bake for about an hour until golden, firm to the touch, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Whilst the cake is baking, prepare the syrup. Strain the orange juice through a sieve into a measuring jug and make up to 100ml (3 ½ fl.oz) with cold water. Pour into a small saucepan and add the remaining sugar and a rosemary sprig. Heat whilst stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat and simmer, without stirring, for 4-5 minutes until syrupy. Set aside.
- Once the cake comes out of the oven, skewer all over with a cocktail stick. Discard the rosemary sprig and pour the syrup over the warm cake. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
- To serve, remove the cake from the tin and place on a serving plate, decorate with frosted rosemary and serve with Greek yogurt and fresh orange segments.
- To frost rosemary sprigs, lightly whisk 1 sachet Dr. Oetker Egg White Powder and dip rosemary sprigs into the egg white. Shake well to remove the excess egg white then dip in caster sugar. Leave in a warm, dry place for a few minutes until the sprigs become dry and crusted in sugar.