Orange-Scented Cornmeal Cake With Fresh Berries

Extra-virgin olive oil — it's not just for salads anymore! Remarkably, EVOO is an important ingredient in this delicious dessert, but trust me, your cake will not smell like an Italian entree. The olive oil keeps things wonderfully moist. When you're ready to serve the cake, you top it with a luscious berry sauce and a sprinkling of fresh berries (though the frozen kind will do if berries are not in season). Never made a cake from scratch before? Try this one — you'll be amazed at how simple it is (and how lovely it will look on your table)!
Orange-Scented Cornmeal Cake With Fresh Berries
Ingredients
For the cake:
3/4 cup whole-grain pastry flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the berry sauce:
1 cup blackberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup raspberries
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice
Preparation
To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
In a small bowl, combine the four, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, combine 1/3 cup of sugar and the oil. Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat for 2 minutes. Add the yogurt, eggs, orange peel, and orange juice. Beat for 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients and beat until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and the cinnamon. Sprinkle over the batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
To make the berries: In a food processor or blender, puree 3/4 cup of the blackberries, the sugar, and the orange juice until smooth. Strain the puree through a sieve into a small bowl; discard the seeds. Cut the cake into wedges. Spoon the berry sauce over the wedges and sprinkle with the blueberries, raspberries, and remaining blackberries.
Note: When you use an electric mixer to beat citrus peel into a batter, a lot of the peel can cling to the beaters. Be sure to scrape any peel from the beaters back into the batter.
Makes 8 servings
Per serving: 189 calories, 30g carbohydrates, 4g protein, 7g total fat, 55mg cholesterol, 3g dietary fiber, 200mg sodium