Orange Polenta Olive Oil Cake
A moist orange cake made with olive oil, ground almonds and polenta, finished with a fragrant rosemary-orange drizzle. Fresh citrus and yoghurt give the cake a soft texture and bright flavour.
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds ground
- ½ cup caster sugar
- 3 eggs large
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 large orange seeds removed
- ½ cup polenta
- 1 cup self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup Greek-style yoghurt or crème fraîche to serve
For Rosemary Drizzle
- ½ cup caster sugar
- Juice of ½ orange
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 6 cardamom pods seeds removed and ground
- 4 rosemary sprigs
Instructions
- Bring a saucepan of water to the boil.
- Lower in the orange and cover the pan.
- Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove the orange and leave it to cool.
- Quarter the orange, remove any remaining seeds and place the entire orange, including the peel, in a blender with the lemon juice and zest.
- Blend until smooth.
- Preheat the air fryer to 160°C.
- Lightly grease a cake pan, 20 cm, and line the base with baking paper.
- Beat the eggs and caster sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.
- With the mixer running, slowly pour in the olive oil in a steady stream.
- Once combined, whisk in the orange purée.
- Fold in the dry ingredients to form a smooth batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Air fry for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack.
- For the drizzle, combine the caster sugar, lemon juice, cardamom and rosemary in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the rosemary and remove from the heat.
- Leave to infuse for at least 30 minutes.
- Pierce the top of the cooled cake all over.
- Spoon the rosemary-orange drizzle over the cake.
- Serve with Greek-style yoghurt or crème fraîche.
Notes & Wine Advice
Serving Suggestions
Serve the cake at room temperature with Greek-style yoghurt or crème fraîche. The creamy accompaniment balances the sweet citrus drizzle and aromatic rosemary.Recipe Notes
Cooking the whole orange before blending softens the peel and removes much of its bitterness. Use the entire cooked orange, including the peel, for maximum citrus flavour.Cooking Advice
Check the cake after about 45 minutes because air fryers vary in intensity. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean when the cake is ready.Rosemary Drizzle
Allow the rosemary and cardamom to infuse in the citrus syrup for at least 30 minutes. Pierce the cooled cake before adding the drizzle so the syrup can soak into the crumb.Wine Advice
The orange, almond and aromatic rosemary flavours pair well with a fresh dessert wine. Choose a suitable bottle from René's Wijnbeleving.Nutrition values
Serving: 300 gr | Calories: 745 kcal | koolhydraten: 82 g | Eiwitten: 17 g | Vet: 43 g | Verzadigd vet: 7 g | Natrium: 410 mg | Suiker: 48 g