I don't know about you but I am completely over winter. I'm sick of wearing lots of layers and I've had it with being sick. I'm bored with winter vegetables, I'm tired of eating apples harvested months ago. I need cake to cheer me up - and this fruity number, which uses frozen berries (or even tinned plums, at a stretch), is just the ticket.

BERRY POLENTA CAKE
Polenta gives this cake a fantastically gritty texture - it's the sort of thing you need to eat with a fork on a plate. Don't give it to a small child indoors unless you have a fondness for sweeping up crumbs.

175g soft butter

175g caster sugar

3 medium eggs, beaten

150g fine polenta (the instant variety is best for cakes)

100g ground almonds

1tsp orange blossom water (or vanilla)

2tsp baking powder

350g mixed berries, fresh or frozen (or you can use well-drained tinned fruit)

grated zest of 1 orange

Syrup

50g caster sugar

juice of an orange (the one you zested for the cake will do nicely)

Preheat the oven to 180C and line a 23cm cake tin with baking paper.

Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then add the eggs and polenta and beat again until well mixed.

Fold in the ground almonds, orange flower water and baking powder, followed by the fruit and orange zest. Spoon this mixture into the prepared tin and smooth down with a spoon.

Bake for about 35 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean. This may take longer if you use frozen berries.

About five minutes before you think the cake is done, put the sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Let bubble away for a couple of minutes, until syrupy.

When the cake comes out of the oven, stab it with a skewer and pour the syrup over the top. Let cool completely in the tin, then turn out and sift icing sugar over the top. Serve with a dollop of Greek yoghurt or whipped cream.

For more recipes like this, visit The Kitchenmaid.

 

- Lifestyle

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