ORANGE CARDAMOM POLENTA CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add the orange zest and beat for another minute or two to pulverize the zest in order to release the natural orange oil. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Break open the cardamom pods and grind the little black seeds into a powder with a pestle and morter and add to the mixer. Grind the almonds in the bowl of a food processor. Add the cornmeal and continue pulse-choping the almonds into a fine crumb. Add, along with the baking powder to the mixture. Juice the oranges and pour into the mixer. Spoon into a 9-inch springform tin lined with parchment paper. Smooth the top with a rhubber spatula. Bake in a preheated 325 degrees F oven for 50 minutes. Combine the orange and lemon juice with the honey and set aside until the cake has finished baking. For the chocolate sauce, combine in a saucepan the chocolate, cocoa and water. Heat gently to melt the chocolate. Once melted add the sugar, corn syrup and butter. Stir to dissolve the sugar and melt the butter. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes. Add vanilla. Once the cake is cooked, remove from the oven and pour over the syrup. A light trick of the trade: Never pour a hot syrup on a hot cake, or a cold syrup on a cold cake as you will end up with a soggy cake. But a cold syrup on a hot cake with yield perfect results. Serve the cake in wedges with a ladle of chocolate sauce on the plate. Creme fraiche is a welcome addition as it adds richness whilst its acidity balances the sweet syrup. The citris-aromatic cake works well with the sublte flavors within the chocolate. Different brands of chocolate yield very different results. Some of my favorites are: Schphenberger for its fruit, Callebaut with its coffee back note, and Green and Blacks which has both flavors mentioned.