Upside Down Fig, Orange and Rosemary Polenta Cake

Not the catchiest name for a cake, but it is a truly yummy bake! A lovely way to showcase Autumnal figs…

Ingredients:

3-4 fresh figs, sliced

2 tbsp orange marmalade

200g soft unsalted butter

200g golden caster sugar

200g ground almonds

100g fine polenta

2 tsp baking powder

3 large eggs

Zest of 1 orange

Juice of half the orange

1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

A few drops of wild orange oil (optional – and always check oils are food grade and safe to consume)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170c (fan).

Grease and line the sides and base of a 23cm round spring form cake tin.

Spread the marmalade across the base of the cake tin (warm it a little first if it is very thick), then arrange the slices of figs over the marmalade, now set aside.

Measure the almonds, polenta and baking powder into a mixing bowl and set to one side.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy (I use a very elderly set of electric beaters).

Add one egg to the butter and sugar, and continue to mix. Then add a third of the dry ingredients, and mix. Alternate adding an egg at a time and dry ingredients until they are all combined.

Then, using a wooden spoon, stir through the orange juice, zest, rosemary and wild orange oil.

Scrape the mixture into the cake tin, level the surface and bake for 45 mins. A cake tester should come out clean – if it does not, bake for further blast of five minutes and then check again.

Once cooked, leave the cake in the oven to cool down and then remove. Let it cool fully, then turn carefully out onto a serving plate.