Blueberry, orange and polenta cake

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Blueberry, orange and polenta cake 2This moist Italian inspired cake, bejeweled with blueberries, is more pudding than cake, especially when served with a spoonful of mascarpone flavoured with your favourite orange liqueur.

Serves 8-10
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes

What You’ll Need:

  • 125g (41/2 oz) butter, at room temperature
  • 125g (41/2 oz) caster sugar
  • 1 orange, grated rind and 3 tablespoons of the juice (about ½ an orange)
  • 75g (3oz) polenta
  • 75g (3oz) self-raising flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 50g (2oz) ground almonds
  • 2 medium eggs, beaten
  • 1 tablespoon orange flower water, optional
  • 150g (5oz) blueberries

To finish

  • Extra blueberries to decorate
  • 2 tablespoons orange liqueur
  • 250g (9oz) mascarpone soft cheese
  • Few pistachios, sliced
  • 1 orange, grated rind of half and 5 tablespoons of the juice
  • 75g (3oz) caster sugar

What To Do:

  • Preheat the oven to 170oC (150oC fan assisted), Gas Mark 3. Grease and base line a 23cm (9inch) springform tin.  Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl or food processor then add the orange rind and beat together until light and fluffy.
  • Mix the polenta, flour, baking powder and ground almonds in a bowl.  Gradually mix alternate spoonfuls of beaten egg and the polenta mix into the creamed butter and sugar and beat well after each addition until smooth once more.
  • Stir in 3 tablespoons orange juice and the orange flour water, if using. Spoon into the lined tin and sprinkle the blueberries over the top.
  • Bake for about 35 minutes until the cake is well risen, cracked slightly on top and a skewer comes out cleanly when inserted into the centre of the cake.
  • Mix 50g (2oz) of the remaining sugar with 3 tablespoons of orange juice together in a bowl. Remove the cake from the tin and put on to a cooling rack, peeling away the lining paper and set the rack over a plate. Skewer the top of the cake then drizzle over the orange syrup and sprinkle with the pistachios. Leave to cool.
  • When ready to serve, mix the mascarpone with the grated rind of ½ an orange rind and the rest of the sugar then gradually mix in 2 tablespoons of orange juice and the liqueur.
  • Transfer the cake to a board, top with extra blueberries then cut into thin slices. Serve with spoonfuls of the mascarpone mix.

Cook’s tip

  • The cake freezes well wrapped in baking paper and foil up to one month. Defrost at room temperature for 3 hours then serve.

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