Making cake batter in the blender? What could be easier? This cake is elegant enough for a dinner party and easy enough for a weekday.

　　

Ingredients

serves 8

　　1/3 cup cornmeal

　　2/3 cup unbleached white flour

　　2 teaspoons baking powder

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1 1/2 cups almonds

　　3/4 cup sugar

　　1 orange

　　1/2 cup vegetable oil

　　2 eggs

　　Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly oil and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

　　

Step 2

Sift the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In a blender or food processor, whirl the almonds and sugar until the almonds are finely ground. Add to the flour mixture.

　　

Step 3

Grate the orange peel (see page 290) and juice the orange (about 1/3 cup). Add the orange juice, orange zest, oil, eggs, and 1/3 cup of water to the blender or food processor and whirl for about 15 seconds. Add the dry ingredients and blend until well mixed, using a spatula to scrape down the sides if necessary. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

　　

Step 4

Cool on a rack for 10 minutes; then carefully remove the cake from the pan. When thoroughly cool, dust with confectioners’ sugar.

　　

Ingredient Note

Step 5

If you don’t have a fresh orange, this cake will be just fine with 1/3 cup prepared orange juice.

　　

Serving & menu ideas

Step 6

Serve with berries or sliced fruit such as peaches or nectarines.

　　From Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas for the Weeknight Table. Copyright © 2017 by Moosewood Collective. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC. Buy the full book from ThriftBooks or Amazon.