Recipe from Go Cook Yourself
A common microtrope in my books is where the man cooks for the woman. I'll include a recipe from my books in some of my newsletters this year. Here is the recipe of Orange Polenta Cake courtesy of The Cheshire Cookery School. This is featured in Go Cook Yourself, my grumpy sunshine, enemies to lovers, workplace romance.
You can see a short excerpt where the cake is mentioned.
Orange Polenta Cake
“In my possession are two Cloud Cookery School Best Baker trophies. This afternoon, I challenge you to make the best orange polenta cake. The renowned Chef Garett will judge both the taste and the decoration. We will put that fondant icing from earlier to good use, although I’m sure you can create something more exciting than dinosaurs.”
There are murmurs of appreciation. I should have considered this before. All the ladies I’ve worked with or hung out with, even ones I didn’t get on with at school, are competitive when baking, especially when pitted against each other.
“And you can learn icing skills that can help even the deadliest ringer,” I add, winking at a suddenly smiling Betty.
Garett tracks me warily as I sashay towards him. I cock my head and shrug. His eyes widen, and I pretend I don’t care, but it’s nice to be giving the attitude rather than receiving it. “Chef Garett will tell you that it’s impossible to cool the cakes in time to ice them and that fondant icing shouldn’t go on polenta, but do you know what we say to that?”
The women stare at me expectantly, several of them clasping their hands.
“Do you know what we say?” I holler.
“No,” the women reply in unison.
If I’m staying at this cookery school and sorting out my relationship with my family, I’ve got to manage the grumpy chef. “We say, ‘Oh glorious Chef Garett, king of the cooking world and our guru, with your help, we can do anything.’”
Garett purses his lips and grits his teeth. His eyes tighten as he stares back at me.
“So what do you say, Chef Garett? Will you shove those sleeves up to reveal your muscley forearms and give us an afternoon we won’t forget? Will you show us things that other chefs wouldn’t dare attempt?” I drop my voice like Amber tells me I do so well. Amber explained that Garett responded best to compliments, cheekiness, and teasing. I can do that, although I need practice after never doing it at home. “Do you dare show this room full of excited women what you’re capable of?”
Recipe
Ingredients:
100g margarine
100g brown sugar
Juice of half an orange
120g vanilla custard
Zest of half an orange
150g self-raising flour
50g polenta (fine but not powdery)
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
Icing sugar
Berries (optional)
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180c.
Melt margarine and whisk together with brown sugar, orange juice and the vanilla custard.
In a separate bowl mix together the flour, polenta, baking powder and salt, then pour the wet mixture and the orange zest into it and combine.
Grease a round cake pan with margarine, pour the dough into it and make sure its even.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle some icing sugar on it and serve with fresh fruit or berries.
