Orange and Honey Polenta Cake is a fragrant and sticky cake made with almond flour, polenta, and cardamom and drizzled with citrus syrup while still warm. It is gluten free. I was inspired to make this polenta cake when dreaming of trips to India, so it is no surprise that it is perfect alongside a cup of tea.
Date Night Inspiration
Every Wednesday since the year before our wedding, Frank and I have a date-night. Except in the cases of soak-you-to-the-bone rainstorms or illness, we go out for dinner on those nights. And on those Wednesday nights, over fragrant Szechuan, spicy Thai salads, or plates of tapas, we hit pause on the week and do some of our best catching-up.
Sometimes, of course, we gripe about work or the mini-dramas of life abroad, but most often on our date nights we talk about the big things. The important things. It’s our time for reflecting and dreaming. Often, our talk turns to travel. We talk about parts of the world we haven’t seen and places we long to visit. We recall our recent trip to India, or the last-minute beach getaway we had last fall. On occasion we talk about our shared love of Istanbul – a place we’ve both visited, although never together.
This Wednesday we lost ourselves in the act of traveling the world with words – planning trips that may or may not ever become reality. We put ourselves in a cabin in a cool, dewy forest or in a city room with windows open to the call to prayer.
Inspired by Memories of India
This Wednesday we talked too about the quiet mornings we spent on the top of the world in India. There were no locks on the doors and no clocks to tell time by when we stayed at Glenburn tea plantation in Northern India. We woke with the sun (with the exception of the day we woke to a knock on our door and an excited groundsman who did not want us to miss the sunrise view of the world’s third tallest mountain). In India, before breakfast, and before dinner, we were served tea and a tiny plate of snacks. Perhaps it was because the snacks came in such small bites – just enough to incite hunger for the next meal – or perhaps they were just well-suited to the time of day and tea, but those nibbles between sips of tea were magnificent. Most were slightly sweet, but sometimes they were savory – tiny samosas or spinach fritters. I loved the buttery cookies they served us occasionally first thing in the morning.
In my most essential nature, I am a homebody. I like the comfort of home and the sustaining feel of preparing meals in my kitchen and taking care of our small space. But travel inspires me, and makes me understand myself and our world much more deeply than I ever could from one spot.
Last night I found myself caught up in the magic of our Wednesday-night musings. I was glad to be home, but still somehow wished I could be served tea while looking out my window at Mt. Kangchenjunga.
The only solution was to bake a cake. A polenta cake that was destined to be served in small slices, preferably alongside a cup of hot tea. I sat at the window today, breathing deep of the cardamom, orange, and honey that define this moist but still crumbly citrus cake, drinking tea and looking out at the world.
There were no mountains. But there was sound, and activity, and a sustaining sense of liveliness in a world that contains countless surprises.
Orange and Honey Polenta Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 220 g (1 cup) butter, softened
- 220 g (1 and 1/4 cup) natural cane sugar
- 300 g (3 cups) almond flour
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- finely grated zest and juice of a large orange
- 150 g (scant 1 cup) polenta
- 1 level teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom (see note)
For the syrup:
- Juice of 2 lemons, juice of 2 oranges, 4 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Grease an 8-inch cake tin with softened butter and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
- In a standing mixer, beat the butter and sugar on high until light and fluffy. Add the almond flour to the mixer and beat on low until just combined. Remove the mixer bowl from the stand and, using a wooden spoon, gently stir the eggs and zest and juice of an orange into the batter. In a seperate small bowl, whisk together the polenta, baking powder, and ground cardamom. Fold these dry ingredients into the batter, just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the lined tin and smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes, and then reduce the oven's heat to 320 degrees F (160 degrees C) and bake for another 25 -30 minutes or until the cake is firm and deep golden brown on top.
- To make the syrup, squeeze the lemon and orange juice into a stainless steel saucepan, bring to a boil and add the honey, stirring to combine. Keep the liquid boiling until it has formed a thin syrup (4-5 minutes).
- Spike holes into the top of the cake (still warm and in its pan) with a skewer then spoon the hot citrus syrup evenly over the top. Leave in the pan until nearly cool, then lift out of the tin.
- Serve in thick slices with thinly sliced fresh oranges.
Notes
What a lovely blog post. I have always wanted to visit India and this has made me want to experience it even more! this cake also looks delicious- I’ve been gluten free for a long time and the polenta cakes I’ve tasted seem to be by far the best gluten free options as they are still really moist. This citrus cake looks like a perfect recipe to make when I’m next home- I can’t wait to try it. x
Katie – this was my first polenta cake, but I am completely sold. It was so nice and moist, and I love that slightly crumbly texture from the polenta. The drizzle of citrus syrup over the top of this one makes it keep beautifully. So glad to have found your site – thank you for stopping by!
I love that I can print the recipes and can take them home for your dad to try. He will be trying this one this weekend. Thanks
I think you’ll really like it, Barbara! This one’s a keeper! And so nice with a cup of tea – my tea-loving sister would approve.
We love date nights but don’t do them nearly enough. I would definitely take this cake for a date night though!
I’m glad we’ve stuck to it – now if we miss a week, I’m totally bummed. You’ve got me set on making those crackers you just posted, Cassie. I’m married to a cracker fanatic!
I’ve always wanted to go to India. My husband and I lived in Hong Kong for one magical year and somehow, despite our many amazing trips, we never made it to Thailand nor India. So I guess I’m living vicariously through you! Gorgeous looking recipe, as always
Jess this looks fantastic! I’ve never made a cake with polenta before … but man now I really want to! Love all the flavors in this. I could use a slice with some tea right about now : )
Jess,
This is my first time visiting your page, I love your writing as well as your recipes. I too am a homebody by nature, but love to dream of travel, and am also living abroad at the moment. And it just so happens I’m sitting here drinking a cup of tea, all that’s missing from this picture is a small slice of orange honey polenta cake. I look forward to more posts!
Warmly,
Stella
Stella – thanks so much for stopping by, and for your kind words. So nice to “meet” you!
Date night is something that doesn’t happen mid-week in our house, and we rarely go out to eat. Rather, we connect in the kitchen on a Friday or Saturday evening, drinking wine and cooking meals of varying complexity. I always miss that part of the weekend if one of us is busy or working and we can’t cook together.
I love the looks of this cake – fragrant and sort of sticky, but also light. Am I wrong? I’ll add this to the queue of must-make recipes!
Katie – I love that – there’s nothing like cooking together! YES – you described the cake perfectly. Definitely a bit sticky, but light. It keeps so nicely, so next time I need to bake a day or two in advance, this is the one I’ll use. I had a slice this afternoon and it’s still delicious.
What an absolutely beautiful post. May you continue to have inspiring travel and comforting nights at home. xo
Right back at ya, friend. And my your travels continue to bring you out towards our neck of the woods. 😉
This is beautiful! I love polenta cake and I have the perfect new jar of honey to use in this. 🙂
This was my first polenta cake, Karista, but I’m now completely hooked! It’s such a great texture – unlike any other cakes I’ve tried. I just found some lavender-infused honey, and I’ve already been thinking about trying it in this cake next time I make it.
We used to do date nights on Tuesday and somehow they just stopped. I think we’ll have to bring them back because that’s exactly what they were like.
I think we have a lot in common Jess!
Love the cake and I so want to be there in that place of your memories. It sounds inspiring and delicious!
I really want to try this cake! Can you get almond flour in Bangkok?
Thank you.
Silvia – it’s tough to find it in Bangkok. This bag came in a care package from the US, but Bob’s Red Mill products, including almond flour and a variety of other flours (plus quinoa!) are available at Villa Markets in town. The best selection always seems to be at the rather run-down Villa on Sukhumvit 11. Hope that helps!
Wow, beautiful! I’m using more polenta lately and I like your idea of cooking with both polenta and almond flour, that ought to be a good flavor combination, especially with the touch of cardamom! Such special trips you’ve had with your husband, I’ve found that the trips my husband and I have had together have been among the best and most memorable things that we have done together, well worthwhile.
Looks amazing! I’m allergic to nuts though, do you think I could substitute another kind of flour instead, like coconut flour or gluten-free flour? 🙂
Maria – I think another type of flour would change the texture quite a bit, but it definitely seems worth a shot. The only challenge I can imagine with coconut flour is that coconut flour is so “thirsty”. You might want to really increase the liquids – or double the liquid that is poured over the surface of the cake at the end.
Hello dear, amazing blog you have. Regarding this recipe, can I use honey instead of sugar? If so, how much? Thanks
Josie
Josy – I often try variations whenever I can, but unfortunately, that’s one I haven’t tried yet. If you do test it out, please let me know how it works!
Yum yum. Such a delicious recipe. Thanks for sharing this.
Simon
Was the polenta cooked before mixing it in time almond flour mix?
No – this uses uncooked polenta.