Orange Cornmeal Cake

I made an Orange Cornmeal Cake yesterday that I just had to share with everyone.  It was so light and fresh... perfect for the warmer weather that has finally arrived.  And as far as sweets go, it's not terribly naughty.  It contains no butter- but olive oil instead.  It has lots of orange flavor, so I could see it being wonderful with tea or coffee as a brunch treat also.  The best part is that it is so, so easy to make!  Happy Baking!

You'll need:
1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for pan
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar, plus 1/3 cup for topping
1/2 cup dry white wine, (or orange juice)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Orange segments, for serving (optional)

Directions


1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with oil; line bottom with a round of wax or parchment paper, and brush paper with oil.

2.  In a large bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, 1 cup sugar, and wine until smooth. Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and orange zest; whisk gently to combine.

3.  Pour batter into prepared pan; sprinkle top evenly with remaining 1/3 cup sugar (topping will be thick). Bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

4.  Cool in pan 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake; invert cake gently onto a plate, and remove parchment paper. Reinvert cake onto a rack to cool completely. Serve with orange segments, if desired.