By: Washington State Chef’s Association Food Bank Challenge Cookbook

Yield: 8×8 pan

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup and 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon orange zest, finely grated
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, finely grated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup coarse polenta or yellow cornmeal
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 egg whites, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons powdered sugar

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Generously butter an 8″ square cake pan.
• In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar, the butter, egg yolks, and orange and lemon zests.
• Add vanilla extract, and beat at high speed with an electric mixture until smooth, light, and creamy- about 2 minutes.
• In a food processor, finely grind the almonds with the cornmeal, cornstarch, and baking powder.
• In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon sugar until they form soft peaks.
• Gently fold the dry ingredients and 1/2 the beaten egg whites into the butter mixture.  Then fold in the remaining egg whites until just incorporated.
• Gently scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pan, and bake for about 30 minutes or until the top of the cake is golden and a cake tester comes out clean.
• Transfer to a cooling rack for 10 minutes, and then invert to cool completely.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar.