Olive Oil and Polenta Bundt Cake
Light, soft, and delicate in flavor, this Bundt cake is the perfect dessert to make when you are looking for a quick one that is not rich or creamy, and which will pair beautifully with a cup of tea or coffee. The fine cornmeal (or polenta) in this cake gives it a nice bite and a lovely, slightly crumbly, texture, while the all-purpose flour keeps it soft and fluffy. My favorite way to slow down when making this cake: smelling the aroma of the rosewater as it is incorporated into the cake batter. The combination of the earthy, grassy flavor of the olive oil, along with the delicate floral taste of the rosewater, gives this cake a really refined flavor profile, making it hard to stop eating at only one slice!
- 1 cup (140 g) fine polenta (#400 fine cornmeal)
- 1 cup (140 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¾ cup (185 ml) unsweetened soy milk
- ⅔ cup (150 g) organic cane sugar
- ½ cup (125 ml) extra virgin olive oil (see note)
- 2½ tsp rosewater (see note)
- Powdered sugar, for dusting, optional
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush generously a 6-cup Bundt pan with olive oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the polenta, flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together the soy milk, sugar, olive oil, and rosewater until most of the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the dry mixture to the liquid mixture, and whisk until incorporated and no large lumps remain.
- Pour the batter into the Bundt pan, smooth the top, and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the cake pan and let cool on the rack for another 20 minutes before slicing. If dusting with powdered sugar, wait until the cake is completely cool before sifting some onto your cake.
- Store the cake at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.