Luxury orange and almond polenta cake recipe

Polenta cake might not sound like your cup of tea, but if you need a gluten-free cake recipe, polenta is the perfect substitute for flour and still tastes the same in your sponge! This deliciously moist orange and almond polenta cake might be luxury but it is low-effort baking as it requires just six ingredients, most of which you're bound to have in your cupboards. You might have thought you couldn't make cake without flour but polenta is a great substitute for those with a gluten intolerance and makes baking with coeliac easy and delicious!

Ingredients

• 2 small oranges
• 5 large eggs
• 175g (6oz) caster sugar
• 175g (6oz) ground almonds
• 50g (2oz) polenta (cornmeal)
• 5ml (1tsp) baking powder

For the orange syrup:

• 50g (2oz) caster sugar
• Juice of 1 large orange

Method

1. Place the oranges, unpeeled, in a pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 1¼ hrs until very soft. Drain and cool for 30 mins.
2. Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F, gas mark 5). Grease and lightly flour a 24cm (9½ in) springform cake tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.
3. Roughly chop the boiled oranges, removing any pips. Place in a food processor or blender and purée. Whisk together the eggs and sugar for 1-2 mins then stir in the ground almonds, polenta and the baking powder, followed by the puréed oranges.
4. Pour into the tin and bake for 40-45 mins until light golden and just firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins then turn out and cool completely.
5. To make the syrup, place the sugar and 60ml (4tbsp) water in a small pan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Boil, without stirring,
6. until the mixture turns light golden. Remove from the heat and add the orange juice. It will bubble and caramelise so reheat gently until dissolved.
7. Serve the cake in thin slices with the warm or cold syrup and crème fraîche. Lightly dust with icing sugar.