Orange and Polenta Cake

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

• Butter, for greasing
• 8 green cardamom pods
• 225g ground almonds
• 100g polenta
• 1 heaped tsp baking powder
• 225g caster sugar
• 225g butter, softened
• 3 large eggs
• Grated zest of 3 large oranges
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 50g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
• Crème fraîche, to serve

For the syrup:

• Juice of 2 large oranges
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp rosewater

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas Mark 4 and grease a 20cm diameter springform tin, then line the base with baking parchment.
2. Bash the cardamom pods in a pestle & mortar to extract the seeds. Then bash the seeds to a fine powder & add to a bowl together with the ground almonds, polenta and baking powder.
3. Beat the sugar & butter in a bowl until the mixture is light and pale. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Tip the bowl of dry ingredients into this mixture & fold with a spatula until just combined. Add two-thirds of the orange zest together with the vanilla bean paste, & just fold through.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and place it on the middle shelf of the oven to bake for about 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and the tin and allow to cool on a wire rack.
5. Prepare the syrup by placing all the ingredients in a small saucepan over a medium heat and bringing to a steady simmer. Pierce holes all over the cake with a wooden skewer while it is cooling and pour over half the syrup, a little at a time, until the cake has soaked it up.
6. Sprinkle with the pistachio nuts, drizzle with the remaining syrup & sprinkle with remaining orange zest to decorate. Serve in slices with a little crème fraîche.