Happy birthday to Tim! And what’s a Tim’s birthday without a birthday cake? So today I made an orange polenta cake from a book Tim generously gave ME a few months ago: Ottolenghi: The Cookbook
This was my first foray into the cookbook, and my first polenta cake. Neither will be my last. We both loved the cake. It was a bit of a faff to make, only because I’ve never made caramel before and it took me three attempts to get it right (these instructions from Delia online and this video from Gordon Ramsay were particularly helpful).
My cake looks pretty close to the one in the book. And I’m pretty sure it tastes just as good. I’m happy. Tim, too.
Orange Polenta Cake
For Caramel Orange Layer
1/2 cup superfine granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into bits
2 navel oranges
For Cake
1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup superfine granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons orange-flower water
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups ground almonds (7 oz)
2/3 cup quick-cooking polenta
For Glaze
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1 tablespoon water
Make Caramel Orange Layer:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Lightly butter a 9-inch round cake pan, then line bottom with a round of parchment paper and side with a strip of parchment.
Bring sugar and water to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, then wash down any sugar crystals from side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Boil, without stirring, swirling pan occasionally so caramel colors evenly, until dark amber.
Remove from heat and add butter, swirling pan until incorporated, then carefully but quickly pour caramel into cake pan, tilting it to coat evenly.
Grate zest from oranges and reserve for cake. Cut remaining peel, including white pith, from both oranges with a paring knife. Cut oranges crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Remove any seeds and arrange slices in 1 layer over caramel.
Make Cake:
Beat butter with sugar using an electric mixer until just combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in orange-flower water and reserved zest.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer at low speed, mix almonds, polenta, and flour mixture into egg mixture until just combined.Spread batter evenly over oranges (preferably with an offset spatula). Bake until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Invert cake onto a cake plate and discard parchment.
Glaze Cake:
Heat marmalade with water in a small saucepan until melted. Strain through a sieve into a small bowl. Brush top of cake with some of glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature.
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That looks FABULOUS… oh I want a piece! Sounds so tasty… lucky, lucky Tim!