Blood Orange and Thyme Vegan Polenta Cake
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
This vegan polenta cake is made with blood oranges and a thyme-infused syrup - the perfect springtime pudding!
Author:
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
Bottom Layer
  • 2 blood oranges, sliced thinly (zest them before slicing, and use the zest as required)
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • 2 tsp orange juice*
  • ½ tsp orange zest
  • ½ tsp thyme leaves, finely minced
Cake
  • 1¼ cups fine cornmeal (180g) (also known as polenta)
  • 
3/4 cup plain flour (120g)**
  • 
3/4 cup white sugar (150g)
  • 
2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup full fat coconut milk
  • ½ cup orange juice
*
  • ½ tsp orange zest
Instructions
  1. Preheat heat the oven to 175°C. Grease and line an 8-inch cake pan with parchment along the base and sides.
  2. In a heavy-bottomed small pot, add the sugar, orange juice and zest and thyme. Stir until the sugar is dispersed, and bring to a simmer and cook for 3 more minutes. Strain out the thyme leaves through a strainer (optional - if you want a cleaner look). Spread the syrup-thyme mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan and lay the blood orange slices over in a single layer.
  3. In a large bowl, sift in the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to mix and aerate the ingredients, then make a well in the centre of the dry mixture and pour in the coconut milk, juice, and zest. Stir to form a smooth, lump-free batter.
  4. Pour this batter into the pan, on top of the arranged orange slices.
  5. Bake the cake until a skewer stuck in the centre comes out clean, 45 to 45 minutes. Let it cool in the pan for 20 minutes before running a knife along the sides of the pan to loosen the cake. Flip it over onto a cake plate, and unmould it. Peel back the parchment to unveil your beautiful polenta cake.
Notes
* This is the juice from the blood oranges, but if you're low on blood oranges, regular OJ will work as well
** For GF, just use a GF all purpose flour blend, and add in an optional ½ tsp of xantham gum
Recipe by The Sasha Diaries at https://thesashadiaries.com/2018/05/14/blood-orange-and-thyme-vegan-polenta-cake/