Going gluten free doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite treats. Here’s a gluten free orange and polenta cake that will hit that sweet spot!
INGREDIENTS
For the orange slices
* 2 oranges, zested (reserve the zest for the cake) and thinly sliced
* 220g sugar
For the cake
* 200g butter, at room temperature
* 200g caster sugar
* 200g ground almonds
* 100g fine polenta
* 1½ tsp baking powder
* 3 large eggs
For the syrup
* ½ cup orange juice
* 125g icing sugar
* Double-thick cream, whipped, to serve
METHOD
For the orange slices
* 1 Place the orange slices in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain.2 Add the sugar and 1½ cups water. Boil for 30 more minutes, until it forms a syrupy consistency. Set aside to cool.
For the cake
1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line the bottom and sides of a 23 cm springform tin with baking paper.
2. Cream together butter and sugar until pale and creamy.
3. Combine almonds, polenta and baking powder. Whisk this into the butter mixture, alternating with the eggs. Whisk in the orange zest. 4 Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 40–50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave the cake in the tin and cool on a wire rack.
For the syrup
1. Place orange juice and icing sugar in a pot and bring to the boil.
2. Prick the top of the cake a few times with a skewer, then pour the warm syrup over. Let it cool before removing from the tin.
3. Serve topped with orange slices and lashings of double cream.
[Image by Martina Sessarego via Pexels]
