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Orange-Almond Polenta Cake

Making cake batter in the blender? What could be easier? This cake is elegant enough for a dinner party and easy enough for a weekday.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 8

Ingredients

1/3 cup cornmeal
2/3 cup unbleached white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups almonds
3/4 cup sugar
1 orange
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly oil and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

    Step 2

    Sift the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In a blender or food processor, whirl the almonds and sugar until the almonds are finely ground. Add to the flour mixture.

    Step 3

    Grate the orange peel (see page 290) and juice the orange (about 1/3 cup). Add the orange juice, orange zest, oil, eggs, and 1/3 cup of water to the blender or food processor and whirl for about 15 seconds. Add the dry ingredients and blend until well mixed, using a spatula to scrape down the sides if necessary. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

    Step 4

    Cool on a rack for 10 minutes; then carefully remove the cake from the pan. When thoroughly cool, dust with confectioners’ sugar.

  2. Ingredient Note

    Step 5

    If you don’t have a fresh orange, this cake will be just fine with 1/3 cup prepared orange juice.

  3. Serving & menu ideas

    Step 6

    Serve with berries or sliced fruit such as peaches or nectarines.

Cover of the cookbook Moosewood Simple Suppers with a red floral motif.
From Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas for the Weeknight Table. Copyright © 2017 by Moosewood Collective. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC. Buy the full book from ThriftBooks or Amazon.
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