Gluten Free, Dairy Free Almond and Orange Polenta Cake with Honey Citrus Syrup

This recipe includes cardamom, but it is entirely optional; it has a pleasant warming taste, but children, and some adults aren’t so keen!

Ingredients

For the cake

220 g vegan margarine

220 g golden caster sugar

3 large eggs

zest and juice of a large orange

300 g ground almonds

150 g polenta

1 tsp baking powder

12 cardamom pods (optional)

for the glaze 

juice of two oranges and one lemon

4 tablespoons of honey

Method

Preheat the oven at 180 C/170 C Fan

Grease and line a 9” deep cake tin with baking parchment.

Cream the margarine and sugar together till light and fluffy.

Break the eggs into a small bowl, beat lightly with a fork, then stir (not beat) into the mixture.

Add the orange zest and - juice to the mixture.

Mix together the ground almonds, polenta and baking powder, then fold into the mixture. Be gentle!

If desired, crush the cardamom pods, grind the little black seeds to a fine powder and add to the cake mixture.. Throw away the husks!

Transfer the cake mixture to the lined tin and smooth the top.

Bake for 30 minutes, turn down the heat to 160 C/150 C Fan for a further 25 -30 minutes or until the cake is firm.

Leave the cake in the tin to cool for 10 minutes, while you make the syrup.

To make the syrup

Squeeze the lemon and orange juice into a small saucepan, bring to the boil, then add the honey. Keep the liquid boiling until it has formed a thin syrup (4-5 minutes).  Leave to cool a little.

Spike holes with a thin skewer all over the top of the cake (still warm and in its tin) then spoon over the hot citrus syrup.

Leave until cold before removing from the tin.