Line a 20.5cm (8in) cake tin with greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan) mark 5. Put the sultanas into a pan with the juice of one orange. Bring to the boil and simmer gently until the sultanas are plump and the liquid has been absorbed.
Step 2
Cream the butter, sugar and egg yolks in a bowl until soft and creamy. Add the polenta, ground almonds, soaked sultanas, orange zest and remaining juice. Fold together gently. Whisk the egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl until soft peaks form. Add a spoonful of the egg whites to the cake mixture to loosen. Fold in remaining whites.
Step 3
Spoon the mixture into the tin and level the top. Bake for 45min until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. For the syrup, heat orange juice, sugar and Grand Marnier in a pan until the sugar dissolves. Bring to boil; simmer for 3-4min to make a syrup. Cool. Prick the cake all over and pour syrup evenly over the top.
Step 4
For the cake topping, beat all the ingredients together in a bowl. Smooth over the cake. Decorate with the orange slices and bay leaves.
A crack team of highly skilled food content producers, the GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurstis our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time.
