Orange Polenta Cake

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

More Cake Recipes

• Eggnog bundt cake with white chocolate icing
• Golden syrup cake
• Coffee cake with coffee cream frosting
• Blueberry and peach dump cake

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Recipe Card