Orange Polenta Cake

This gluten-free Orange Polenta Cake is sweet and sunny and tender and moist. Made with cornmeal, ground almonds, and fresh orange zest and juice, it's the perfect sweet treat any time of year.

When I learned you could combine cooking and witchcraft, I got so excited, but I also wasn't the least bit surprised. Once I understood how magick worked, it should have been obvious that preparing food for yourself and others was inherently magical. It clearly has a physical effect on our bodies and energy levels, but there's something more spiritual at work as well.

We know that just the sight or smell of certain foods can change the way we feel. We know that memories of sharing food with loved ones are deeply ingrained. So of course we can manipulate our own energy with food. We can take the energy we wish to manifest directly into our bodies and even share it with others (with their permission, of course). Kitchen witchcraft will always be my favorite way to work with magick.

What makes this Orange Polenta Cake so awesome?

This Orange Polenta Cake has big, sunny vibes. The flavor of orange is more subtle than other citrus fruits, but it brings us a big hit of happiness. This cake also carries sun energy from ground almonds and corn. So when you want to bring a bit of brightness to someone's life, this is the recipe you want to turn to.

And did I mention it's totally delicious? It's got a tender, though slightly crumbly texture. This cake is gluten-free, so the texture is more coarse, but I actually love that here. It's super moist with a burst of orange flavor in every bite. This cake is beautiful enough for a rustic garden party, but also simple enough for an afternoon treat. It's the perfect all-around cake and will make your gluten-intolerant friends very happy.

Magical Properties of Oranges

Oranges have cleansing properties like all citrus fruits, and you can literally use orange oil in cleaning products. And have you ever noticed how you suddenly feel a bit happier when someone starts peeling an orange at the desk next to yours? The essential oil has mood lifting properties. Whether you're working with the peel, the whole fruit or the juice, you can call on orange energy in a variety of spells. Use oranges for love, well-being, luck, money, purification, beauty, and creativity. (Source: The Modern Witchcraft Book of Moon Magick by Julia Halina Hadas)

To learn more about the magical properties of the ingredients in this recipe, check the Kitchen Magick page.

Ingredients

Here's everything you'll need to make this cake. The full details are in the recipe card below.

• Butter - unsalted and softened
• Sugar - caster, superfine, or granulated sugar will all work
• Ground almonds - or almond meal, which is a bit coarser than almond flour
• Cornmeal
• Baking powder
• Eggs
• Oranges - you'll need the zest and the juice
• Powdered sugar - aka icing sugar or confectioner's sugar

Tips for making Orange Polenta Cake

This cake comes together pretty easily. You'll start by beating butter and sugar with an electric mixer until it's pale and fluffy. This is a process known as creaming. You'll measure out your dry ingredients in a separate bowl and then mix them in batches, alternating them with the eggs, until everything is smoothly combined. Finally, you'll stir in the zest and juice of your oranges.

Bake this up until beautifully golden brown in a springform pan. To make sure it stays moist and flavorful, poke little holes with a skewer or toothpick all over the top of the cake, then pour over your orange glaze to soak into the cake and form a sugary coating on top. Let it cool completely before removing the collar, slicing, and serving. This cake stays moist for days if you keep it in an air tight container.

I can't wait for you to try this Orange Polenta Cake. I promise, it will make you feel awesome.

Looking for more awesome gluten-free cake recipes? Try this Spiced Flourless Chocolate Cake or a dairy-free Chocolate Olive Oil Cake.

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