Blood Orange & Saffron Polenta Cake

Making a seasonal pudding is a tough brief in February. Seasonal fruit is scarce and there’s only so many times I can raid the freezer for gluts of gooseberries, blackcurrants and plums squirrelled away last summer. But I’m happy to venture further afield and glad of some imported sunshine from the Sicilian blood oranges that are in season, briefly, right now. 

This cake sounds fancy, but it’s a doddle. I urge you to try it with the burnt oranges, the charred smoky flavours are terrific with the saffron. You could also try the cake (though not the burning) with forced rhubarb which is in season here in the UK. Not a fruit, I know, but pretty much the only native seasonal pudding option at the moment. Obviously, regular oranges are perfectly adequate, though less romantic, here too.

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Blood orange and saffron polenta cake with burnt oranges and ginger crème fraîche

Yield: Makes one shallow 7-inch cake for 6 dainty portions

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 1 Hour

Interesting flavours. Minimal fuss. This quick and easy polenta cake recipe is the work of moments. A great way to celebrate the blood orange season.

Ingredients

• 100ml extra virgin olive oil
• 100g demerara sugar + 1/2 tbsp
• 2 eggs
• Big pinch saffron steeped in 1 tbsp hot water
• Pinch salt
• 25g self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 85g ground almonds
• 65g quick polenta
• 3 blood oranges, plus 2 extra for burning
• 30g caster sugar
• 2 chunks stem ginger (with a splash of the preserving syrup)
• 200g crème fraîche

Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C.
2. Whisk together the olive oil, 100g demerara and eggs in jug. Add saffron and its water.
3. Mix the salt, flour, baking powder, almonds, polenta and zest of 1 of the blood oranges in mixing bowl.
4. Fold the wet mix into the dry mix.
5. Line a loose bottom cake tin with baking paper then grease the inside of the paper on the base too. Slice the remaining peel and pith from the zested orange and cut into 4mm circles. Sprinkle the cake tin base with the ½ tbsp demerara sugar then arrange the orange slices on top.
6. Pour the batter over the slices and bake for 35-40 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, zest and juice the remaining 2 oranges and pour into a pan with the caster sugar. Bring to the boil over a medium heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes until the mixture has reduced to make a marmalade-y syrup.
8. Once cooked, leave the cake to stand for 10 minutes, then remove from tin and invert. Brush the syrup over top.
9. I serve this with crème fraîche into which I have stirred chopped stem ginger and a dash of the ginger syrup from the jar. Just before serving, I burn slices of the remaining 2 oranges (peeled) by frying them in a hot, dry non-stick pan to go on the side.