Orange Juice Cake with Cornmeal

The addition of cornmeal in this Orange Juice Cake provides just a hint of graininess to a simple dessert. Such a distinctive texture! This easy orange cake recipe also uses one whole fresh orange guaranteeing delicious flavor.

Cornmeal, referred to as farina di mais in Italian, is a very common ingredient used in the regional cuisine of Northern Italy. 

One of the most popular dishes made with this grain is polenta. 

This northern Italian specialty is usually made with cornmeal cooked with a liquid and stirred for an extended period of time. Depending on the ratios of water and cornmeal, it can be eaten as is or topped with almost anything especially when transformed into a tart or a pizza.

When yellow cornmeal is used as an ingredient in cakes, muffins, scones, cookies, or bread, it not only adds great color but also great texture. 

This distinctive orange-scented cake comes together in less than 10 minutes and requires no fancy equipment. All you need to make this simple cake are a couple of bowls, a whisk and a mixing spoon. It can be simply garnished with a dusting of icing sugar or if you prefer, bring it to the next level by topping it with orange syrup and serving it with whipped ricotta. 

Let’s begin! 

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190°C). Grease and flour (or use non-stick spray) in an 8-inch springform pan. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift or whisk together 1¼ cup of all-purpose flour (175 grams), ½ cup of cornmeal (medium or coarse), 2 teaspoons of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together 2 eggs with ½ cup of sugar. Add 6 tablespoons of olive oil (regular), the zest of one organic orange and ½ cup of orange juice. Whisk to combine properly together. 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine with a wooden or rubber spoon. Do not over mix.

Transfer batter to prepared pan.

As an optional step, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of turbinado (or raw) sugar.

Bake in a preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean and the cake is firm around the edges. 

Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack where it can cool down for about 15 minutes before releasing from the springform pan.  Allow to cool off completely before garnishing. 

Cake toppings and garnishings

You can simply garnish this dessert with a dusting of icing sugar. Or if you prefer, you can make a syrup. 

To make an orange syrup: Simply whisk together 1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice with ½ cup of sugar in a small saucepan. Add thin slices of the rind, preferably organic. Place over low heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the sauce/syrup thickens. Quickly brush over the cake top and serve immediately. 

A dollop of whipped ricotta, a teaspoon of the citrus syrup, a thin slice of orange and a sprig of mint provides the perfect garnish.

Tips

• Sifting the dry ingredients together will allow for better distribution of all the individual ingredients throughout the dry mixture. The process also aerates the dry ingredients making the final product lighter in texture.
• Do not overmix the batter as this will result in a tough cake. 
• Use light olive oil. Although extra virgin olive oil can be used, the taste can be overpowering in this citrus-flavored cake. 
• Do not overbake this cake as it will turn out dry. Use a cake tester to check for doneness. Other signs of doneness include firmness around the edges and the cake beginning to pull away from the sides. 
• This cake is best served the day it is made. 

Can I freeze this cake? 

Yes, it freezes wonderfully without any icing. Simply wrap in plastic film. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator when needed. 

More orange desserts

If you like orange dessert recipes, you will love the tender crumb of this Orange Chiffon Cake.  Another family favorite is this Bundt Cake. You won’t believe this orange cake recipe uses a whole pureed orange, both the zest and the pulp, and there is no bitter taste! 

Recipe origins

I am a big fan of Martha Stewart. 

So much so that I subscribed to both her Living and Food magazines for almost a decade. 

I was inspired by Martha’s Orange Cornmeal Cake with the following modifications: I decreased the total sugar by half and reduced the total amount of oil used in the recipe. 

If you like desserts that aren’t too sweet, this is for you. It is great with morning coffee or afternoon tea. 

Enjoy!

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

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Maria

★★★★★ If you have made this orange “polenta” cake, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Recipe

Orange Juice Cake with Cornmeal

The addition of cornmeal in this Orange Juice Cake provides just a hint of graininess to this simple dessert. Such a distinctive texture!

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 280kcal

Author: Maria Vannelli RD

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Ingredients

• 1¼ cups flour 175 grams, all-purpose
• ½ cup yellow cornmeal coarse or medium
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons olive oil light or vegetable oil
• 1 whole orange zest organic
• ½ cup orange juice room temperature

Optional garnish:

• 1 tablespoon turbinado (or raw) sugar

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190°C).
• Grease and flour (or use non-stick spray) an 8-inch springform pan. Set aside.
• In a medium mixing bowl, sift or whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs with the sugar for 1-2 minutes.
• To this, add the oil, orange zest and orange juice. Whisk to combine properly together.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine with a wooden or rubber spoon. Do not over mix.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• As an optional step, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of turbinado (or raw) sugar.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Transfer cake to a rack where it can cool down for about 15 minutes before removing from the pan.

Scroll UP for the STEP by STEP PhotosDon't miss the process shots and videos included in most posts. Simply scroll up the post to find them. Those were created especially for you so that you can make the recipe perfectly every single time you try it.

Notes

• Sifting the dry ingredients together will allow for better distribution of all the individual ingredients throughout the dry mixture. The process also aerates the dry ingredients making the final product lighter in texture.
• Do not overmix the batter as this will result in a tough cake. 
• Use light olive oil. Although extra virgin olive oil can be used, the taste can be overpowering in this orange-flavored cake. 
• Do not overbake this cake as it will turn out dry. Use a cake tester to check for doneness. Other signs of doneness include firmness around the edges and the cake beginning to pull away from the sides. 
• This cake is best served the day it is made. 

Cake toppings and garnishings:

You can simply garnish this cake with a dusting of icing sugar. Or if you prefer, you can make an orange syrup. 

To make an orange syrup: Simply whisk together 1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice with ½ cup of sugar in a small saucepan. Add thin slices of orange rind, preferably organic. Place over low heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the sauce/syrup thickens. Quickly brush over cake top and serve immediately. 

A dollop of whipped ricotta, a teaspoon of orange syrup, a thin slice of orange and a sprig of mint provides the perfect garnish.

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 280kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 163mg | Potassium: 200mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg

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