Name: Orange Polenta Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 180 g Butter (Softened); 1 Orange (Juice and Zest); 200 g Caster Sugar; 200 g Ground Almonds; 3 Eggs; 100 g Polenta or Cornmeal (Coarse and Fine work but Fine is better); 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder (Use Gluten Free); 100 g Caster Sugar; 1 Orange (Juice and Zest)

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This Orange Polenta Cake is one of those simple bakes that feels effortlessly impressive. It is soft, rich, and packed with bright citrus flavour, with a beautifully moist texture from the ground almonds and a subtle bite from the polenta. The fresh orange drizzle soaks into the warm cake, making every slice fragrant, tender, and perfectly balanced between sweet and zesty.

Orange Polenta cake is Italian inspired and made with just 7 ingredients - butter, sugar, eggs, almond flour, orange, baking powder and polenta.

It is a really moist cake with a textured crumb, that just melts in the mouth.

Many years ago, I had a Lemon Polenta Cake on the blog but for some reason (the horrendous pictures probably also a lack of understanding around SEO) I removed the recipe.

I will be re uploading that soon because it was so good and basically just the lemon version of this.

This is the kind of cake that works for any occasion. Serve it with coffee in the afternoon, as an easy dinner party dessert, or simply as a make-ahead bake that tastes even better the next day. Best of all, it comes together with minimal effort but delivers bakery-style results every time.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Incredibly moist and tender texture
Bright fresh orange flavour in every bite
Simple ingredients with impressive results
Naturally gluten-free when using gluten-free baking powder
Easy to make ahead
Keeps beautifully for several days
Perfect balance of soft crumb and slight polenta crunch
Ideal for dessert, afternoon tea, or coffee mornings

Ingredients and Why They Matter

Butter - Butter gives the cake richness, moisture, and a soft tender crumb. It also helps carry the bright citrus flavour throughout the cake.

Orange - Fresh orange juice and zest are the heart of this recipe. The juice adds freshness and moisture, while the zest provides intense natural citrus flavour and aroma that makes the cake taste vibrant and fragrant.

Caster Sugar - Caster sugar sweetens the cake while helping create a light texture. It also balances the slight bitterness from the orange zest and polenta.

Ground almonds keep the cake incredibly moist and soft while adding a delicate nutty flavour. They also give the cake a slightly dense, luxurious texture.

Eggs provide structure and stability while helping the cake rise and stay light despite the richness of the almonds and butter.

Polenta gives the cake its signature texture. It adds a subtle bite and gentle crunch that contrasts beautifully with the soft crumb.

Baking powder helps lift the cake, keeping it from becoming too heavy or dense.

Orange Drizzle - The orange drizzle made from Sugar and Orange soaks into the warm cake, adding extra moisture and amplifying the citrus flavour. It creates a glossy finish and keeps the cake soft for days.

How to make Orange Polenta Cake

Full instructions are at the bottom of the page. Here are the step by step photos.

Line a 20cm round tin.

Whisk Butter, Sugar and Zest and Juice of 1 Orange for 5 minutes.

Orange, Zest and Butter in bowl of stand mixer

Add Almonds gradually and fold in.

Add Eggs 1 by 1, whisking in-between.

Fold in Polenta and Baking Powder.

Baking Powder added to bowl of stand mixer

Bake in a preheated oven at Gas Mark 4/180 C for 40 - 45 minutes.

Dust the Cake with Icing Sugar.

Slice of Orange Cake in blue bowl with a dollop of creme fraiche

Top tips for making the BEST Orange Polenta Cake

I use a microplane zester to zest the orange to get it super fine.

Add the zest directly into the sugar and butter at the beginning so the oils are released into the batter.

Stir the Almonds and Polenta in slowly.

The drizzle is optional. You can leave it out or brush some over the top.

Storage Instructions

This cake keeps well for up to a week in an airtight container.

Freezer - Orange Polenta Cake can be frozen once cooled. Cling film the whole cake or individual slices and freeze in a ziplock bag/airtight container.

When you are ready to serve, simply remove from the freezer and let it defrost before serving.

More Baking recipes to try:

**if you make this recipe, please rate/comment below. we love to hear from you and seeing your creations makes our day - safira

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