Baking with EVOO - A beautiful orange polenta cake with Mascarpone icing
Easter baking
Easter calls for something special and this orange, polenta and olive oil cake is exactly that. Olive oil makes for a beautifully tender crumb while the polenta brings texture and bite. This cake is drenched in syrup made with Seville oranges which makes it very moist and VERY moreish.
Seville oranges for the win
Seville oranges are the ones used to make marmalade and they are much more bitter than other varieties. As you'd expect, the syrup does have sugar but he idea is to lean into the bitterness so you get a lovely contrast between the almost fudgy sponge made with moscovado sugar and the tart citrus hit. If you can't get Seville oranges just add lemon to regular orange juice for a similar effect
Two ways to serve
You can finish this cake 2 ways - after it comes out of the oven let it cool a bit in the tin before pricking the top and drizzling the syrup. Leave for an hour or so then serve straight up or, with cream or Greek yogurt.
For a more special dessert, you can take this cake up a level by creating a soft, jammy orange topping. Instead of pouring all the syrup over the cake, reserve about half and return it to the pan. Simmer gently until it thickens slightly, then spoon or spread it over the top to create a glossy, lightly set layer of orange.
Finish with mascarpone lightly whipped with cream and just a whisper of muscovado sugar for a soft, luxurious contrast.
Decoration ideas
You can top the mascarpone with roasted almonds or, some powdered dried orange peel for a nice pop of colour. I know this all sounds faffy but it's actually quite easy and looks fab. All you need to do is finely grate the rind of one of the oranges onto a plate. Leave in a warm place - the grill part of the cooker above a hot oven is perfect until the rind has dried out and you're left with a bright orange powder.
What type of olive oil to use for this cake
Choose a fresh, vibrant extra virgin olive oil for best results. You don't need to use your premium olive oils for this kind of cooking. One of our everyday options works great so you get the benefits of extra virgin without breaking the bank.
Orange polenta cake with Mascarpone icing
Ingredients
- 250gr Polenta finely ground (If yours is sandy in texture just blitz it in a food processor until you have a finer texture)
- 100gr Flour
- 120gr Ground Almonds (or any ground nuts if almonds are not available)
- 1/4 teaspoons Salt
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 300gr Light Brown Moscovado Sugar
- 4 Eggs
- 250ml Olive Oil ml -I use Nobleza del Sur's 5L Picual which works really well and is also nice and economical
Orange Syrup and glaze
- 500ml of Seville orange juice or, 400ml orange juice and 100ml lemon juice if you can't get Seville oranges
- 100gr White Sugar
Mascarpone Icing
1 tub of mascarpone
200ml cream
1 teaspoon moscovado sugar
Method
Heat your oven to 180 degrees (170 if it's a fan oven)
Combine all the dry ingredients for the cake in a bowl and mix well.
Turn on your mixer and add the eggs to the dry ingredients one at a time incorporating each one as you go.
Keep the mixer running and slowly pour in eat the olive oil and beat until all the ingredients are combined to form a thick batter.
Put the mixture into a greased cake tin.
Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes checking after 35 minutes. If the top is golden, cover with some tinfoil for the rest of the baking. Continue checking every five minutes to ensure the cake doesn't overcook. The cake is done when a skewer comes out more or less clean. I say more or less because it's easy to overdo things so err on the under rather than overdone side of things.
The orange syrup and glaze
While the cake is baking combine the juice(s) with the sugar in a pot and simmer until the juice starts to thicken to the consistency of single cream. Take the pot off the heat and allow to cool.
Orange Powder for decoration
Finely grate the rind of one of the oranges onto a plate. Leave in a warm place - the grill part of the cooker above a hot oven is perfect
Finishing off the cake
After the cake comes out of the oven let it cool slightly in the tin then prick the top with the tip of a sharp knife. Pour half of the thickened juice over the top of the cake and allow to absorb as the cake fully cools.
When the cake is more or less cold, put the rest of the juice back on the heat and slowly cook down to the consistency of double cream. Spread this over the top leaving the edges clear by about 1 inch so the mascarpone spreads more easily. Don't worry if it's not too exact or neat.
To make the mascarpone icing beat the mascarpone with the cream and sugar until stiff. Put the icing around the cake's edges. Decorate with toasted flaked almond or orange powder.
This cake is best eaten at room temperature and will keep well for 3 or 4 days in a tin or 3 in the fridge if you use mascarpone but believe me it won't last that long!
ABOUT AUTHOR
Sarah Merrigan
Chef, food writer, sustainable food entrepreneur and soon-to-be olive oil sommelier. Passionate about introducing Ireland to the finest premium Spanish olive oil crafted by producers who share my dedication to excellence.
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