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    Home » Recipes » Dessert

    Orange Polenta Cake

    Modified: Feb 22, 2023 · Published: Mar 14, 2021 by Radwa ·

    Jump to Recipe

    My Orange Polenta Cake is Incredibly delicious! It is a simple Italian-style cake made with cornmeal and fresh orange juice. This citrus cake has a crumbly texture and a beautiful orange colour. It is the best I've ever tasted!

    Orange Polenta Cake in a serving plate
    Jump to:
    • Orange Polenta Cake
    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Orange Polenta Cake?
    • Variations
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Storage
    • Recipe FAQs
    • More Cake Recipes
    • Orange Polenta Cake
    • Comments

    Orange Polenta Cake

    I LOVE Polenta cakes, they are my go-to afternoon tea cake, so I bake them a lot. However, this orange polenta cake is my favourite so far, with its zesty orange flavour and soft texture. I enjoy it with my morning tea, afternoon snack, or even as a dessert after a light meal; I can't get enough of it.

    Sometimes, I top this cake with whipped cream or a homemade orange glaze, but when I want it simple, I just sprinkle some powdered sugar on top, and it is so good.

    This recipe is incredibly easy to make; simply mix the wet ingredients, mix the dry ingredients, combine both and cook to perfection!

    My orange Polenta cake has a slightly crumbly texture; please note that the ratio of cornmeal to flour is what determines if the cake will be crumbly or not. I use 1 cup polenta and ¾ cup flour in this recipe because I prefer it to be a bit crumbly.

    If you want it less crumbly, use 1 cup flour to ¾ cup cornmeal. Also, you can use fine cornmeal instead of coarse.

    Orange Polenta Cake

    Ingredients

    Note: This is an overview of the ingredients. See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

    Cornmeal (Polenta): I used coarse cornmeal (polenta), you may use fine cornmeal for less crumbly texture.

    Tip: Using fine or coarse cornmeal will only affect the cake's texture, not the taste; however, I prefer to use coarse cornmeal because I like the gritty texture.

    All-Purpose Flour: Measure the flour correctly.

    Olive Oil: Canola or avocado oil will work as well.

    Baking Powder: Use good quality baking powder for a better texture.

    Eggs: I used 3 large eggs at room temperature.

    Butter: I prefer unsalted butter, softened.

    Plain Yogurt: I used full fat plain yoghurt, or you can replace it with greek yogurt or sour cream.

    Sugar: To sweeten your cake.

    Orange: I used fresh orange juice and grated orange zest. Substitute orange juice and zest with lemon juice and zest, if you like.

    Salt: If you are using salted butter in this recipe, you can skip adding salt.

    Powdered Sugar (optional): To sprinkle on top of the cake. You can sprinkle orange zest on top of the cake instead of powdered sugar

    Orange Polenta Cake in a plate

    How To Make Orange Polenta Cake?

    Preheat the oven to 350F/ 180C. Line an 8-inch springform or baking pan with parchment paper or grease well with butter.

    Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder and set aside.

    combine flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder

    Mix the Wet Ingredients: In another mixing bowl, whisk sugar and eggs using an electric whisk until the mixture becomes pale.

    Now, add yoghurt, lemon juice and zest, oil, and butter; mix well until combined.

    whisk sugar and eggs using an electric whisk
    Pour the cornmeal mixture over the egg mixture

    Combine wet and dry Ingredients: Pour the cornmeal mixture over the egg mixture, mix well. Pour all the batter into the baking pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.

    Note: To know if the cake is fully baked, insert a toothpick in the centre of the cake; if it comes out clean (nothing on it), the cake will be good.

    Allow the cake to cool, then sprinkle some powdered sugar on top of it.

    Polenta Cake in a plate

    Variations

    • You can replace the butter with more olive oil (the same amount).
    • If you like it nutty, just sprinkle some chopped nuts of your choice (such as almond or walnut) on top of the batter before baking it.

    Serving Suggestions

    This cake is so delicious plain; however, you can serve it with some fresh fruits or a cup of a cold or hot drink. For me, I love to serve it with a cup of Korean Strawberry Milk.

    slices of orange Polenta Cake

    Storage

    Storing this Orange Polenta Cake is so simple. I cut it into medium-sized pieces and put them into an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for 4-5 days.

    To freeze polenta cake, put it in a well-sealed container in the freezer for 2-3 months. Let it thaw at room temperature.

    Recipe FAQs

    Is polenta gluten-free?

    Yes, since it is made from corn, it is gluten-free.

    What is polenta? 

    Polenta is an Italian dish (not an ingredient) made with boiled cornmeal. This dish can be eaten in so many ways; it can be severed hot like porridge or baked like a cake. Because cornmeal is usually the main ingredient of the polenta dish, when you see the term "polenta," it refers to cornmeal.

    Polenta Cake is a simple Italian-style cake

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    Orange Polenta Cake topped with powdered sugar and half an orange is in the background.
    Print Pin
    5 from 12 votes

    Orange Polenta Cake

    Orange Polenta Cake is a super simple citrus cake made with cornmeal and fresh orange juice. It has a crumbly texture and a beautiful golden colour.
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Italian
    Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time 50 minutes minutes
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 223kcal
    Author Radwa

    Equipment

    • Springform
    • Measuring spoons
    • Measuring cups
    • Mixing bowl

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup cornmeal (polenta) , coarse cornmeal
    • ¾ cup all-purpose flour
    • 1 cup sugar
    • ½ cup plain yogurt
    • 1.5 tablespoon baking powder
    • ¼ cup olive oil
    • 3 eggs
    • 1 tablespoon grated fresh orange zest
    • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
    • 2 tablespoon fresh orange juice
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 3 tablespoon Powdered sugar , for topping

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350F/ 180C. Line an 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or grease well with butter.
    • In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder and set aside.
    • In another mixing bowl, whisk sugar and eggs using an electric whisk until the mixture becomes pale. Now, add yoghurt, lemon juice and zest, oil, and butter; mix well until combined.
    • Pour the egg mixture over the cornmeal mixture, mix well. Pour all the batter into the baking pan and bake for 40 minutes. To know if the cake is fully baked, insert a toothpick in the centre of the cake; if it comes out clean (nothing on it), the cake will be good.
    • Allow the cake to cool down, then sprinkle some powdered sugar on top of it.

    Notes

    Using fine or coarse cornmeal will only affect the cake's texture, not the taste; however, I prefer to use coarse cornmeal because I like the gritty texture.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 294mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 128IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @HealthyLifeTrainer or tag #healthylifetrainer!

    About Radwa

    Hi, I am Radwa! I've always been fond of food—seriously, it's my love language. I share my tried-and-true recipes and provide easy, step-by-step recipes that anyone can follow.

    Comments

    1. Zoey says

      March 21, 2021 at 8:07 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks, Radwa, for this amazing recipe. My family and I loved it.

      Reply
    2. Ivy says

      March 20, 2021 at 5:30 pm

      5 stars
      My family and I love polenta cakes so much especially the one with orange, and I tried this easy recipe, and the cake was just perfect.

      Reply
    3. Heba says

      March 18, 2021 at 10:13 am

      5 stars
      I am making this cake for the second time, and every time I make it, I can't wait until it comes out of the oven! This time I substituted orange for limes. To be honest, I don't know which is better because both are so delicious.

      Reply
    4. Beth says

      March 17, 2021 at 3:38 pm

      5 stars
      I Made this Polenta cake yesterday. It was so easy, and the smell in the kitchen was amazing.

      Reply
    5. Leah says

      March 15, 2021 at 5:43 pm

      5 stars
      This polenta cake is amazing and so easy! I Didn't have orange, so I used lemon instead.

      Reply
    6. Willow says

      March 15, 2021 at 11:23 am

      5 stars
      Loved it. Used Swerve sugar for healthier cake! The orange really goes so well with it.

      Reply
    5 from 12 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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    Healthy Life Trainer

    Hello! I’m Radwa, A wife and mother. Also, I am the recipe maker and food photographer behind Healthy Life Trainer. I love making new, simple and quick recipes every day.

    More about me→

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