NINA ZENOVYA
1. Weigh out all your ingredients and set the oven to 160 degrees fan. Grease and line a 9inch / 23cm cake tin.
2. Cut the butter into small squares and add to a large mixing bowl with the caster sugar. Cream together with a wooden spoon, and eventually whisk until pale and fluffy (you can do this in a KitchenAid if you have one).
3. Combine the polenta, ground almonds and baking powder in a bowl.
4. Add an egg to the sugar and butter, followed by a third of the dry mixture and beat to combine. Then add in the next egg, with a third of the dry mixture. Then the final egg, with the remaining dry ingredients until the batter is well combined. Lastly, beat in the orange zest.
5. Spoon the mixture into your cake tin and level out, before baking in the oven for 40 minutes or so, until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre.
6. Meanwhile, make the syrup. In a small pan, bring the orange juice, icing sugar and orange extract to the boil and bubble away until it becomes thick and glossy. Set aside to cool - you want it to be still warm when drizzling on the cake.
7. Remove the cake from the oven and prick all over with a cake tester. Then drizzle on the syrup, allowing it to seep into the cake.
8. Leave to cool completely before removing from the tin.
9. Serve with crème fraîche and strawberries for extra indulgence.
Orange Polenta Cake
SERVES:
Makes one cake
200g butter at room temperature
200g caster sugar
100g extra fine polenta (or semolina)
200g ground almonds
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
The zest of 2 oranges
For the syrup:
125g icing sugar
The juice of 2 oranges
1/2 tsp orange extract
Adapted from a lovely Nigella recipe
