Orange Blossom Polenta Cake

cake is cake is cake?  i guess. i mean CAKE to me is a sheet of lusciously fluffy goodness topped with a spread of sweet and mouth coating icing then another pile of this concoction is laid on top. repeat and repeat and repeat if you so desire. yum! there is nothing like making the first cut into a stacked, iced cake. its a present. you open it up and there inside is a little wonderland of taste and texture, endless possibilities - well if its done correctly. 

just a slice of cake on a plate. what could be more satisfyingly simple than that? forget the ice cream, that's a joke. it just melts and makes a mess and its distracting and just what the heck are you thinking?! do you really need ice cream too? and because you can not eat ice cream with a fork you use a spoon now? - ugh you should never eat cake with a spoon. never. spoons eliminate one of the best and final parts of eating cake which is smashing the crumbs and left over icing up against the spine of your FORK and sliding it off with the strength of your greedy lips. just feel that melt in your mouth. don't eat ice cream with cake people, control yourself.

with all that said (sorry); now there are also what i call "grown up cakes" or fancy pants cakes really. lets see there's cheesecake (i know i stand alone here - but just gross),  pound cake, spice cake, sponge cake, fruitcake (we all know the consensus), coffee cake, rum raisin cake... its endless. i don't make these much because to me they just aren't as fun and playful as say, a cupcake. whatever. i got over that and found this recipe for an orange polenta cake in gourmet magazine while sitting on a leopard print stool-like thing nervously waiting for josh in the dentist office (another story all together). 

what attracted me was the minimal amount of flour and the loads of almond flour. almonds and oranges; you just can't go wrong with that combo. so try it out and don't try to substitute the orange blossom water- do what you can to find it. i must note that this cake was made in memory of wayne and his lady.wayne i want that sweet potato cookie recipe. pronto. 

ORANGE BLOSSOM POLENTA CAKE 

1/2c superfine granulate sugar

2 tbs water

2 tbs unsalted butter, cubed

2 navel oranges

7oz unsalted butter, softened

1c superfine granulated sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp orange blossom water

1/2c all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2c ground almonds

2/3c quick-cooking polenta

1/4c orange marmalade

1 tbs water

*preheat oven to 350F, line 9" cake pan with parchment, side and bottom

*make the carmel orange layer: 

* zest the two navel oranges, set aside.

* cut away the remaining pith and slice crosswise into 1/4" rounds. 

* bring 1/2c sugar and 2 tbs water to boil, swirl - do not stir - the boiling mix occasionally to get an evenly browned color. do not burn - yick

* remove from heat, drop in cubed butter, swirl to combine. 

* carefully and quickly pour carmel into the lined cake pan

* place the orange rounds in a single layer in the caramel

* make cake:

* beat 7oz butter and 1c sugar to just combined

* add eggs one at a time, beat well each time

* stir in blossom water and reserved zest

* in separate bowl combine the remaining dry ingredients

* slowly  beat in the flour mix to the butter mixture

* spread the batter over the prepared cake pan with the oranges and caramel. will be thick so even it out with your spoon   or spatula.

* cook for 50 min to 1 hour. check with a toothpick to make sure its done. 

* let cool for 5 minutes in the pan then invert onto your cake plate and discard the parchment.

* make the glaze: 

* heat marmalade and water in a sauce pan to melted. 

* take off heat and brush on the top of the cake with  a pastry brush