Orange & Honey Polenta Cake

Bright and zesty orange and sweet honey blend together beautifully in this moist and savory cornmeal cake. Pairs great with tea and coffee, enjoy it as an after dinner dessert or have it as breakfast cake, any way you serve it, it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser!

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Why you’ll love orange and honey polenta cake

Bright and zesty orange and sweet honey blend together beautifully in this moist and savory cornmeal cake. It’s hard to resist!

I love this cake because it is so versatile - it pairs great with tea and coffee, makes a great dessert AND you can also enjoy it as breakfast. Easy!

Recipe Tips for the best orange and honey polenta cake

Do not over bake it. The key to a light and fluffy cake is to pull it out of the oven as soon as a knife inserted comes out “smooth”. I usually remove it from the oven when the batter is cooked but there are a few crumbs clinging to the knife. This will ensure that the cake is moist but also structurally sound. It makes a HUGE difference in the texture of the cake.

Recipe Variations

Love orange and chocolate together? Try adding your favorite chocolate chips.

For a less sweet version of this cake, you can omit the glaze. The cake will taste less sweet and a little less moist, but it will still taste wonderful!

FAQ

• What is polenta cake made of?

  Polenta cake is made of rustic polenta (corn meal) and blended with more standard cake ingredients like all purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda, sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Different recipes call for variations of these basic ingredients or add-ins like nuts or chocolate chips.

• Is polenta cake gluten free?

  No, polenta cake typically calls for all purpose white flour in addition to polenta (corn meal). For a gluten free version of this cake, try using an almond flour or another gluten free substitute and swap it with the all purpose flour in this recipe at the ratio described on the package of which ever flour you choose.

• How do I achieve the right texture in polenta cake?

  There are two types of cornmeal that you can use for polenta cake:

  • Quick Cooking cornmeal has been cut down into smaller bits, thus yielding a softer, more refined texture.

  • Regular cornmeal consists of larger pieces of cornmeal that will result in a grainier texture of cake.

  In my opinion, both can work, however I find that I prefer a lighter more refined texture so I’ve used quick cooking cornmeal in this recipe.

  If you only have regular cornmeal on hand, you can try using a food processor to process the cornmeal into finer bits. You can also try soaking the cornmeal in water for about 30 minutes prior to baking with it. Just make sure you strain off the water before using.

Ingredients

Cake batter

• 1 cup instant polenta

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• 3/4  cup honey

• 1/2 cup butter (melted)

• 3 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Zest of 2 oranges

• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

• 1/4 cup buttermilk

Glaze

• 3 tablespoons orange juice

• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest

• 3 - 4 tablespoons honey (depending on how sweet you like)

• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar for sprinkling on top (optional)

How to make orange and honey polenta cake

Prep

Preheat the oven to 350℉.

Line the bottom of an 8 or 9” round baking pan with parchment paper and grease the sides (optional: skip the parchment paper and grease the whole pan. The parchment paper just makes it a little easier to remove the cake.)

Zest the oranges and squeeze them to get the juice.

Make the batter

In a medium bowl, mix together the polenta, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Add the butter and honey to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium until well combined. 

Add the eggs, vanilla, orange zest, and orange juice and beat until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Alternately add half of the polenta mixture and the buttermilk to the honey mixture and mix between additions until all the ingredients are combined. 

Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the oven for 30 - 35 minutes. 

Let the cake cool in the pan completely.

Make the Glaze

In a liquid measuring cup, add orange juice, orange zest, and honey. Whisk together until well blended. 

While the cake is still in the pan, poke holes all over the top of the cake. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake and let it soak for about 10 minutes. 

(Optional) Sprinkle powdered sugar over the cake using a mesh strainer.

Remove the cake from the pan and serve!

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How to Store

Store orange and honey polenta cake at room temperature in an air tight container for up to two days, or store in the refrigerator for up to five days. If stored in the refrigerator, let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, or pop in the microwave for five to ten seconds to warm to room temperature.

You can also freeze orange and honey polenta cake easily. Just place (fully baked and cooled) in an air tight freezer container and store in the freezer for up to three months. Remove from the freezer and place in the refrigerator 24 hours prior to serving.

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breakfast cake, savory desserts, cornmeal desserts, cornmeal bread, orange desserts, orange cake recipe

dessert, breakfast, cake

american

Servings: 8

Author: Jessie Cagliero

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Orange & Honey Polenta Cake

Bright and zesty orange and sweet honey blend together beautifully in this moist and savory cornmeal cake. Pairs great with tea and coffee, enjoy it as an after dinner dessert or have it as breakfast cake, any way you serve it, it’s sure to be a crowd pleaser!

Prep time: 45 minutesCook time: 30 minutesTotal time: 1 H & 15 M

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

Cake Batter

• 1 cup instant polenta
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup butter (melted)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Zest of 2 oranges
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1/4 cup buttermilk

Glaze

• 3 tablespoons orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
• 3 - 4 tablespoons honey (depending on how sweet you like)
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar for sprinkling on top (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉.
2. Line the bottom of an 8 or 9” round baking pan with parchment paper and grease the sides (optional: skip the parchment paper and grease the whole pan. The parchment paper just makes it a little easier to remove the cake.)
3. Zest the oranges and squeeze them to get the juice.
4. In a medium bowl, mix together the polenta, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
5. Add the butter and honey to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium until well combined.
6. Add the eggs, vanilla, orange zest, and orange juice and beat until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
7. Alternately add half of the polenta mixture and the buttermilk to the honey mixture and mix between additions until all the ingredients are combined.
8. Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the oven for 30 - 35 minutes.
9. Let the cake cool in the pan completely.
10. In a liquid measuring cup, add orange juice, orange zest, and honey. Whisk together until well blended.
11. While the cake is still in the pan, poke holes all over the top of the cake. Pour the glaze over the top of the cake and let it soak for about 10 minutes.
12. (Optional) Sprinkle powdered sugar over the cake using a mesh strainer.
13. Remove the cake from the pan and serve!

Nutrition Facts

Calories

430

Fat

14 g

Sat. Fat

8 g

Carbs

71 g

Fiber

1 g

Net carbs

70 g

Sugar

36 g

Protein

7 g

Sodium

288 mg

Cholesterol

101 mg

*Nutrition is auto-calculated by recipes generator.

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