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blood orange polenta cake
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Blood Orange Polenta Cake

A deliciously dense, moist cornmeal cake flavored with vanilla and orange zest, covered in a show-stopping blood orange pink glaze

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 1 loaf
Author LeAnne Shor

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup salted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs plus one egg yolk
  • 1 1/2 cup cake flour
  • 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal, medium/coarse ground
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tbsp blood orange zest (from one orange)
  • 3 tbsp blood orange juice
  • 1 tsp baking powder

Blood Orange Glaze

  • 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • juice of one blood orange 1/4-1/3 of a cup
  • 1 tsp blood orange zest
  • pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9x5" loaf pan well with nonstick cooking spray, then line the pan with parchment for easy removal. Set aside. 

  2. In a large bowl, beat the room temperature butter and powdered sugar together with a hand-mixer (or in a stand mixer) until pale and fluffy.

    Add in vanilla extract, orange zest, orange juice, eggs (one at a time), and egg yolk. Mix on medium speed until well incorporated.

  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the cake flour, kosher salt, baking powder, and cornmeal.

    Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, with the mixer on low. Mix just until fully combined. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth out the top with a spatula, and bake for 70-75 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

  4. Make the glaze while the cake is cooling. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, orange juice, zest, and salt. Whisk until smooth and you've reached the desired thickness. 

    Pour the glaze over the cooled cake, and top with more blood orange slices for serving.