Orange and polenta cake

Name: Orange and polenta cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 16
Ingredients: 125 g (4oz) sultanas; Zest and juice of 2 oranges; 175 g (6oz) butter, softened; 200 g (7oz) golden caster sugar; 4 large eggs, separated; 125 g (4oz) each fine polenta and ground almonds; Juice of 1 orange; 1 tbsp. golden caster sugar; 4 tbsp. Grand Marnier; 200 g (7oz) mascarpone; 1 tbsp. icing sugar; Zest of 1 orange

If you haven’t made a Christmas cake yet or fancy a change, try this citrusy confection instead. It’s easy to make and will keep for up to a week.

By The GH Kitchen TeamPublished: 30 December 2007

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Good Housekeeping

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Yields:

Prep Time:

30 mins

Cook Time:

50 mins

Total Time:

1 hr 20 mins

Ingredients

For the syrup

125 g (4oz) sultanas
Zest and juice of 2 oranges
175 g (6oz) butter, softened
200 g (7oz) golden caster sugar
4 large eggs, separated
125 g (4oz) each fine polenta and ground almonds

For the topping

Juice of 1 orange
1 Tbsp. golden caster sugar
4 Tbsp. Grand Marnier

To decorate

200 g (7oz) mascarpone
1 Tbsp. icing sugar
Zest of 1 orange

Directions

1. Step 1
  Line a 20.5cm (8in) cake tin with greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan) mark 5. Put the sultanas into a pan with the juice of one orange. Bring to the boil and simmer gently until the sultanas are plump and the liquid has been absorbed.
2. Step 2
  Cream the butter, sugar and egg yolks in a bowl until soft and creamy. Add the polenta, ground almonds, soaked sultanas, orange zest and remaining juice. Fold together gently. Whisk the egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl until soft peaks form. Add a spoonful of the egg whites to the cake mixture to loosen. Fold in remaining whites.
3. Step 3
  Spoon the mixture into the tin and level the top. Bake for 45min until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. For the syrup, heat orange juice, sugar and Grand Marnier in a pan until the sugar dissolves. Bring to boil; simmer for 3-4min to make a syrup. Cool. Prick the cake all over and pour syrup evenly over the top.
4. Step 4
  For the cake topping, beat all the ingredients together in a bowl. Smooth over the cake. Decorate with the orange slices and bay leaves.
  
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Get Ahead

Make cake to end of step 3. Wrap in clingfilm and foil. Freeze for up to one month. Thaw overnight at cool room temperature, then complete recipe.

Per Serving:

Calories: 303
Total carbs: 35 g
Sugars: 23 g
Total fat: 18 g
Saturated fat: 6 g

The GH Kitchen Team

The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor ⁠Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce ⁠Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time