Got a celebration coming up? This vegan orange and rose polenta cake is the PERFECT thing to make. And no one will even be able to tell it's vegan!
This cake is light but still moist, sweet but not too sweet, and has subtle hints of rose and orange that'll have you coming back for another bite before you can finish the first one.
What is polenta?
Polenta, also known as cornmeal to those in the US, is coarsely ground dried corn. It might sound a little strange as a cake ingredient, but it gives polenta cake its signature texture and rich flavour.
What's in a polenta cake?
I have tried to keep things simple with this cake. Less than 10 ingredients? Check. Only one bowl to wash up? Check. Ready in 40 minutes? Check. 25 of which are spent watching Netflix? Double check. (Just a little insight into my recipe criteria: I take Netflix minutes pretty seriously 😉 )
As you know, most cakes normally have eggs in, but there are no eggs in sight here! Instead, I have used dairy-free yoghurt, which adds extra richness and still keeps the cake light and fluffy. We also soak the cake in orange juice after baking for extra sweetness and moisture.
FAQ
Yes - simply swap the soy milk, vegan butter and vegan yoghurt for dairy equivalents.
Omit the orange juice and rose petals to make a plain version. You could serve it topped with some chocolate ganache!
I hope you enjoy this recipe! If you make it, please leave a rating + review below and share your photos on Instagram tagging #shivanilovesfood!
More vegan bakes to try:
Orange and Rose Polenta Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup/ 240 ml Soy Milk or milk of choice
- ¼ cup/ 55 grams Vegan Butter melted
- ¼ cup/ 60 grams Vegan Yoghurt or dairy yoghurt
- 4 tablespoon Orange Juice
- 1 cup/ 160 grams Polenta
- 1 ¼ cups/ 160 grams Plain Flour
- ½ cup/ 100 grams Caster Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Dried Rose Petals optional, for decoration
Instructions
- Add the soy milk, vegan butter, vegan yoghurt and 2 tablespoons of the orange juice to a large bowl and whisk together until smooth.
- Add the polenta, flour, sugar and baking powder to the bowl, and whisk well to combine.
- Pour the mixture into a 23cm cake tin which has been greased and lined with greaseproof paper.
- Bake the polenta cake at 180°C/350°F for 25 minutes, or until the top is golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Brush the remaining 2 tablespoons of orange juice onto the cake, then leave to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tin.
- Optional: Decorate with orange slices and rose petals.
Notes
- This recipe yields a cake with a subtle sweet flavour. If you prefer a sweeter taste, you can either increase the sugar to 150 grams, or soak the cake in sugar syrup rather than orange juice.
- The cake will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Nargiza
Hi! Shivani. Thank you very much for this awesome rose and polenta cake recipe! My family and I loved it very much! I made it and it turned out very fluffy with right sweetness! II did not have rose petals. I use coconut oil, zest of one big orange and some dry coconut flakes. And instead of orange juice, I use cointreau liquor(in and out). Very delicious! Definitely this cake is gonna be one of my favorite cake recipes!
Thank you very much!
Shivani Raja
Hi Nargiza, I am so happy to hear that you liked it!! Using coconut sounds like a super tasty addition too!
Anna
Thank you for this recipe! Guess what? I am from the land of Polenta, not only the country (Italy) but the region too. And I think I am going to follow your recipe 😉
I am looking for a vegan recipe with no fancy ingredients and this seems just perfect: what a gastronomical journey for this recipe!
Shivani Raja
How exciting!! I hope you enjoy it Anna <3
Clo
Hi Shivani! Any recommendations for trying a gluten-free version of this cake? I’m dying to bake something with polenta, blood oranges & rose so that would be the perfect match! Thank you 🙏🏾 🌹
Shivani Raja
Hi Clo,
I haven't tested a gluten-free version of this recipe yet, but I think your best bet would be to try a gluten-free all purpose flour blend.
Best of luck with it!
laura
Hi, is it 180 degrees fan or regular oven?
Shivani Raja
Hi Laura, it is for a fan oven 🙂