Honeyed almond and polenta cake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (250g) butter 
• ½ cup (200g) honey 
• Juice (80ml) and peel of 1 orange 
• 3 eggs, separated 
• 3 cups (300g) almond flour 
• 1 cup (160g) polenta 
• 1 cup (250g) plain double-cream yoghurt 
• 1 Tbsp (15ml) baking powder 
• Pinch of salt 
• ½ punnet (10g) fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped 

Syrup: 

• 1/3 cup (100g) honey 
• Juice (80ml) of 1 orange 
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme 

Icing: 

• ¼ cup (60g) butter, softened 
• 1½ cups (195g) icing sugar, sifted 
• 1-2 Tbsp (15-30ml) plain double-cream yoghurt 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C and grease a 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin. 
2. Whisk butter and honey for 5 minutes or until smooth. 
3. Add orange juice and peel, then egg yolks. 
4. Whisk egg whites to stiff peaks and fold through yolk mixture. 
5. Combine flour, polenta, yoghurt, baking powder, salt and chopped thyme in a mixing bowl. 
6. Add egg mixture and fold through until well combined. 
7. Pour batter into prepared cake tin. 
8. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. 
9. Cool in tin for 10 minutes, unmould and cool completely. 
10. Combine syrup ingredients in a pot and simmer for 5 minutes. 
11. Remove thyme sprigs and pour hot syrup over cake. 
12. Whisk soft butter until fluffy. 
13. Add icing sugar gradually, whisking until smooth. 
14. Fold through yoghurt. 
15. Ice cake all around and decorate as you wish. 

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