Italian Orange Polenta Cake

Polenta is coarsely or finely ground yellow or white maize used as a foodstuff. It is cooked by boiling to a paste in water or a liquid such as soup stock, and may be eaten with other ingredients. After boiling, it may be baked, fried or grilled; leftover polenta is often used this way. Polenta is originally an Italian word, derived from the Latin for hulled and crushed grain, especially barley-meal; maize was not cultivated in Europe until the early 16th century. It also comes from the same base as "pollen".
This cake is moist with a pleasantly crumbly and grainy texture; try these cake recipes using popular Italian ingredient polenta/ cornmeal. Give your sweet tooth an Italian flavour with this moist, golden, shiny and fruity polenta cake.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour:                     1 cup
Polenta/ corn flour:                   3/4 cup
Sugar:                                      1 cup
Butter:                                     4 tablespoon
Vegetable oil:                          1/4 cup
Vanilla essence:                       1 teaspoon
Orange zest:                            2 tablespoon
Fresh Orange Juice:                 1  cup
Egg:                                         3 medium
Baking powder:                       1 tablespoon

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 180C. Line the base and sides of a round 23cm cake tin with baking parchment.
2) Cream the butter, oil and sugar (1 cup leaving 4 tsp for glaze) together until light and fluffy using a whisk.
3) Add the eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly.
4) Sieve all the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
5) Add all the dry ingredients and the zest.
6) Add half a cup juice to the mixture.
7) Transfer the mixture to the tin, spread evenly, then cook for about 35 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
8) Remove from the oven and turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
9) To make the glaze, put the remaining juice and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Let it simmer for 5 mins, then remove from the heat and allow cooling.
10) Drizzle the orange glaze over the top of the warm cake. Serve with cold vanilla ice cream.

BON APPETIT....