Orange Cornmeal Cake

    Today......something sweet!  This cake is delicious and refreshing........a perfect spring or summer dessert!  And, it contains two Italian ingredients you might not expect......olive oil and white wine!  That's right....a little unusual, maybe, but they give this cake a subtle and delicious flavor.  The cornmeal adds a little bit of texture. 
   
    Now, it's pretty well know around here that I have a real sweet tooth, and chocolate is at the very top of my list of indulgences.  That being said, I found this to be a very nice light, not too sweet dessert, totally acceptable to this "chocolate lover".

Here are the ingredients to make this unusual and delicious cake:



Orange Cornmeal Cake     (serves 8)

1/2 cup olive oil (I use extra-virgin)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Finely grated zest of 1 orange

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup dry white wine (or orange juice)

1/3 cup regular sugar or coarse sanding sugar, for topping

Orange segments and whipped cream, for serving (opt.)

    The first thing to do is preheat your oven to 375 degrees and brush the bottom and sides of an 8" round cake pan with some olive oil.  Then line the bottom with parchment paper and brush that with oil.

Whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and zest together in a bowl.

Then, in a separate bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, 1 cup sugar, and wine together until smooth.  Add the flour mixture and whisk  gently to combine.

Pour the batter into the pan and sprinkle it evenly with the extra 1/3 cup sugar.  Bake until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a tester in the center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes.

Cool the cake, still in the pan, for 20 minutes.  Then run a knife carefully around the edge of the pan, and gently invert the cake.  Turn it over again onto a  rack to cool completely.  Serve with orange segments and whipped cream, if desired.

(You can see by the picture that I opted for the coarse, sparkling sugar to top my cake.  It makes for a very attractive topping, but is also quite crunchy.  If you'd like a less crunchy option, just use regular granulated sugar.)

For printable recipe click here.

recipe from Every Day Food  Fresh Flavor Fast.