Orange Cake

A simple and delicious orange cake made with polenta for an extra rich texture.

It's perfect on its own, but you can also serve it with a dollop of crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.

This is hands-down my favorite cake in the whole wide world. All credits go to my girlfriend, Nastasia—this is her signature cake, and she will make this for every special occasion or any day that we feel like we need something simple and delicious.

You might think that love is blinding me when talking about this, and you would probably be right, but I believe that words can't do this cake justice. It can make any rainy day feel sunny.

Playlist

Bring a pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat
Add 2 oranges and boil them for at least 2h, until a spoon can easily pierce their skin
Transfer the oranges to a tall container. Blend on high speed with a hand blender until a smooth purée is formed
Line the base of a 24 cm diameter cake pan or baking ring with aluminum foil. Grease the bottom and sides with butter
Preheat the oven to 160 °C
Add 250 g of sugar and 250 g of softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer. Fit with a whisk attachment
Whisk on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to evenly whisk the cream
Reduce the speed to medium. Add 4 eggs, 1 at a time. Continue whisking until combined
Turn off the mixer and add 200 g of all-purpose flour and 2 tsp of baking powder
Add 140 g of polenta cornmeal and ½ tsp of salt. Mix on slow speed just until all the ingredients are combined
Add 250 g of the orange purée and mix to combine
Pour the batter into the greased pan and evenly spread its surface
Bake for 30m-40m minutes until a cake tester comes out clean and the cake is golden. Let it cool down to room temperature
Juice 3 oranges
Strain the juice into a saucepan
Add 150 g of sugar and stir to combine
Simmer over medium heat until it is reduced by half and has the consistency of a light syrup
Poke holes throughout the cake with a fork
Pour the warm glaze over the cake and spread it with a spoon. Let the cake sit for 5m to absorb the liquid
Unmold the cake and garnish it with the zest of 1 orange. The orange cake is ready
Enjoy it with a warm cup of coffee or tea!