Blood Orange and Poppyseed Polenta Cake

This recipe was contributed by a market customer and friend, Steve Grant. Some notes on the recipe:

This cake started life with AP flour, yogurt and veg oil and has been “Italianized” over the course of several iterations.  Now, fittingly, it sings.  

Note on olive oil:  most EVOO is fraudulent (a book with an unfortunate title, Extra Virginity, is actually a great and informative read), but there’s plenty of the real thing around if you know where to look.  Doesn’t have to be a Tuscan estate oil (the best of the real stuff):  California Olive Ranch at Weaver Street coop is a fine, honest and affordable olive oil. 

INGREDIENTS:

For polenta cake

  • 1 ½ cup Cateto Polenta (soaked overnight in scalding water)

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 cup Chapel Hill Creamery ricotta (or other whole milk ricotta, drained; because the polenta is wet, and you are going to fold in olive oil, it’s important to drain excess water from the ricotta).

  • Zest of one blood orange (this is a minimum; add zest of some or all of a 2nd orange if you wish)

  • ¾ cup sugar (max; feel free to adjust to your taste)

  • 3 large eggs (if you can find deep orange yolks, aka deep flavored, use them!)

  • ½ teaspoon vanilla

  • ½ cup best olive oil you can find (don’t fear the real stuff- green, pungent- it won’t dominate this cake!)

  • 1 tablespoon poppyseeds

For orange glaze

  • 1/3 cup fresh orange juice

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with the rack in the center.

  2. Mix together, using a whisk or fork, the soaked polenta, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl.

  3. In another small bowl, whisk together the ricotta, blood orange zest, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

  4. Combine the ricotta mixture with the polenta mixture

  5. Gently fold in the olive oil and poppyseeds into the batter. It will seem quite wet; don’t panic!

  6. Heat a cast iron skillet with at least 4 cup capacity on the stove top. Coat liberally with olive oil (or fine leaf lard or other rendered fat for a southern touch.)

  7. Pour the polenta batter into the hot skillet. The mixture should sputter around the edges. Decorate the top with thinly sliced blood orange (or Valencia oranges, or both.)

  8. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a sharp knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If your batter is on the wetter side, it may take longer. Have patience and don’t loose heart–this cake is difficult to dry out!

  9. After the cake has cooled 10 minutes, make a glaze from 1/3 cup fresh orange juice and 1 tablespoon sugar. Bring it to a low boil and then cut the heat, allowing it to cool slightly.

  10. Let come to room temperature, then run a thin knife around the edges and turn the cake onto a plate or platter, then flip it right side up and serve.