Polenta, orange and pistachio cake
For the cake, you will need:
• 225g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the tin
• 125g fine polenta (maize meal), plus extra for dusting the tin
• 225g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• Finely grated zest of 1 orange
• Juice of half an orange
• 50g unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped
• 200g ground almonds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (make sure to use gluten-free baking powder if you want this cake to be gluten-free)
For the orange syrup, you will need:
• 75g caster sugar
• Juice of 1 orange
To decorate, you will need:
• 25g unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped and lightly toasted — see my Top Tip, below left
1
You will also need a 20cm-diameter high-sided springform or loose-bottomed tin. Preheat the oven to 170°C, 325°F, Gas 3.
2
Butter the sides of the tin and place a disc of baking parchment in the bottom. Dust the sides of the tin with a little fine polenta (approximately half a tablespoon).
3
Cream the softened butter in a bowl, add the caster sugar and mix well. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition, then add the finely grated orange zest and the orange juice.
4
Fold in the chopped unsalted pistachios, the ground almonds, the fine polenta and the baking powder. Mix to combine.
5
Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin and bake it in the lower part of the preheated oven for 55-70 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Sometimes, depending on the oven, I quickly put a piece of baking parchment or tin foil on top of the cake after 45 minutes, to prevent it from getting too brown. Take the cake out of the oven when it is cooked.
6
To make the syrup, put the caster sugar and the orange juice into a saucepan over a medium heat. Stir together until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, take the syrup off the heat and while the cake is still hot, prick the top at regular intervals with a small skewer or cocktail stick, and pour over the hot syrup to let it soak in completely.
7
Allow the cake to cool in the tin, then carefully lift it out and remove the baking parchment. Place it on to a serving plate or cake stand. Decorate the cake by scattering some roughly chopped lightly toasted unsalted pistachio nuts over the top.