Celebrating Iranian new year naturally calls for a cake that contains saffron (OBVIOUSLY!). This year, I decided to combine the zesty flavour of orange with the mildly floral and complementary taste of saffron. I chose polenta because it’s supremely light yet substantial and – you guessed it – already gluten free.
Serves 10
Prep time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 30 minutes
Equipment:
Circular baking tray
Ingredients:
100g fine polenta
75g ground almonds
75g gluten free self-raising flour
Zest and juice of one orange
½ tsp saffron
3 eggs
150g caster sugar
150g butter
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp xanthan gum
150g icing sugar
50g finely chopped or ground walnuts (optional)
Method:
- Pre-heat the oven to 160ºC fan. Grease the baking tin with a tablespoon of butter.
- Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla bean paste until fluffy and add the eggs in individual goes, whisking until combined before the next addition.
- In a separate bowl, combine the polenta, ground almonds, gluten free self-raising flour, baking powder and xanthan gum. In three goes, sieve the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and whisk.
- Fold in the zested orange before pouring the mixture into the greased baking tin.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- For the orange syrup, squeeze the juice of one orange, whisking sieved icing sugar. Put this on a medium heat for about five minutes until the syrup begins to bubble. Gently pour over the polenta cake.
- For the walnuts, decorate however you like (I like to ground mine and neatly draw a ring around the edge of the cake!)
chefmarinie 