food to glow

This is pretty healthy for a cake – no butter, no flour, and a relatively small amount of sugar for a cake. However, it goes without saying that for most of us (she says patting her belly) this is for an occasional treat, not everyday munching. We like this quite puddingy and a bit squidgy: if you like a firmer cake, leave it in a little longer. It will still be lovely and soft. This polenta cake keeps beautifully too. x

Blood oranges – about 5 (some for the cake batter and some for the tin itself)

1/2 lemon, juiced

150ml light rapeseed oil/light olive oil/melted virgin coconut oil

125g  unrefined caster sugar OR coconut palm sugar + 2 tbsp for optional glaze

100 g fine or regular polenta/maizemeal (available in the Asian section at most supermarkets)

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp turmeric (optional)

175 g ground almonds

1 tsp good quality vanilla extract

3 medium eggs or equivalent vegan eggs (e.g. 3 tbsp ground chia seeds mixed with 6 tbsp water); I haven’t tried it with aquafaba but I’m sure this vegan technique would work well.

1. Oil and baseline an 11 x 7 inch/27.5 x 18cm (approx) pan. Preheat oven to 180 C/160 C fan/350F. Have your baking paper reach up from two sides so that you can pull the cake out easily when cool. Or use a loose-bottomed tin.

2. First of all, the blood oranges. Wash and zest one of the oranges; set aside or zest straight into a food mixer or bowl. Juice the zested orange and one other; add in the lemon juice and set it aside. Now peel the remaining oranges and slice no thinner than 1/2 cm. Keep the peel if it looks juicy – this is to help make the optional glaze. Lay the best slices over the bottom of the prepared tin, and eat the rest!

3. Beat together the oil and sugar. I use a stand-mixer and let it rip for about 3-4 minutes. Pour in the polenta, baking powder, turmeric (if using), almonds, orange zest and juice, vanilla and eggs. Mix well and pour into the prepared tin. Although I use a stand mixer for this, strong arms or electric beaters are fine.

4, Bake in the middle of the oven for 25-30 minutes, checking at 20 minutes and perhaps covering with foil to prevent burning. I usually take it out at 25 for a slightly softer cake. You can also make this in a well-greased muffin tin (uses 9-10 holes); bake these for about 20 minutes, but check at 15. The top of the cake or muffins should be lightly golden brown in patches and just starting to pull away from the sides of the tin. Lightly press the top of the cake, if it leaves a small dent it is perfect – not too cooked (as for cornbread).

5. While the cake is baking, put the 2 tablespoons of sugar in a small pan, squeeze the blood orange peels of their juice and enough water, or water and lemon juice, to make a light syrup; heat just enough to melt the sugar.

6. After the cake has cooled for about 20 minutes, lift it from the pan, peel away the paper, carefully upend it onto a plate and brush the blood orange syrup over the upside-down cake. TIP: If the cake looks very pale on the bottom, carefully transfer it onto a tray and pop under the grill for a short spell – watching it like a hawk – then brush over the syrup.

Serve with berries, coconut yogurt, creme fraiche, fruit compote or just on its own with a cup of tea. Enjoy.