Blood orange and polenta cake

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Blood orange season is short but oh so sweet (and a bit sour) and this orange and polenta cake is a firm favourite here at Watts HQ!

Ingredients:

For the caramelised orange slices:

One blood orange
120g caster sugar

For the cake:

450 g blood oranges (about 4 medium sized oranges)
6 eggs
250 g caster sugar
125 g polenta
125 g ground almonds
1 tablespoon baking powder
1½ tablespoons finely chopped rosemary leaves
½ teaspoon salt

First prepare the caramelised oranges that you will decorate the cake with Pour the extra 120g caster sugar into a medium saucepan with 120ml of water. Bring to a low boil until the sugar dissolves.
Cut one blood orange into thin slices then submerge into the sugar syrup before bringing back to a boil then simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the orange slices from syrup (but keep it to pour over the cake later) and place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Bake for 10 minutes at 150°C. Turn the orange slices over and bake for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside whilst you make the cake.
Place the whole oranges into a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 1 hour.
Pre-heat the oven to 150°C and line and grease a 20cm round cake tin.
Remove the oranges from the pan then halve and remove the pips
Put the oranges into a blender and blitz until smooth.
Beat the the eggs and sugar together until combined then mix in the orange purée.
Add the polenta, ground almonds, baking powder, rosemary leaves and salt, then beat until combined
Add the batter to the tine and bake for 10 minutes then increase the heat to160°C. Bake for a further 30 minutes until firm to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Once the cake is ready, remove from the oven and whilst the cake is still in the tin prick the surface all over with a cocktail stick. Pour the reserved blood orange sugar syrup all over the surface of the cake.
Let the cake cool in the cake tin before removing. Decorate with the blood orange slices and fresh rosemary then serve.