Soft, moist and bursting with bright citrus flavor, this Orange Semolina Almond Cake is really a fabulously lush tea time treat!
I've had semolina cake on my mind for ages now. I did make it once a few years ago...nothing worth talking about! It was too dry and crumbly, not sweet enough. The good part was that I knew exactly how I'd wanted to fix it. It took me only 5 years to get to it, and boy, am I pleased with the result or what!
This Orange Semolina Almond Cake is just how I thought it should be. Soft crumb, beautifully fragrant with orange blossom water, orange zest and juice. A tad nutty texture thanks to almond meal and semolina. And it rose really well, without egg! Yep, no egg in the batter. I subbed it with yogurt which added to the moisture and a slight tang that's undoubtedly irresistible.
If you can't get your hands on orange blossom water, don't worry, just add some extra orange zest. I really like to use freshly squeezed orange juice here. It's a tad bit of an effort, but it's really worth it. The bottled juices tend to be very sweet and have an artificial flavor, so I like to stay away from them.
And let's give you another option..if oranges aren't available, use lemon juice and zest instead! So long as you get the fresh bright citrus zing, you are good to go!
How Can I Make This Cake
Making this one-bowl cake is as easy as ABC! Just measure out the dry ingredients in a bowl, add all the wet ingredients and stir until thick and lump-free. Once baked, make a delicious orange honey syrup that gets poured over the warm cake.
Let it soak for a bit and let all the flavors marry. Cut into fat slices and serve with a cuppa. And that gorgeous syrup? If you have any leftover, serve it with the cake or use it on your pancakes, toasts, oatmeal, your tastebuds will thank you for this!
For added pizzazz, top the cake with some caramelized oranges. It's absolutely optional though. I have given the recipe below, just in case you want to give it a try. But do sprinkle toasted almonds on top for a wonderful nutty crunch. Like all good things must be shared, here's the recipe for this elegant Orange Semolina Almond Cake.
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Orange Semolina Almond Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup ( heaped) Semolina /Sooji
- 1/2 cup Almond Meal or Ground Almonds
- 1/4 cup Wholewheat flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp Fresh orange zest
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup Yogurt Please use thick yogurt.
- 1/3 cup oil
- Juice of 1 large Orange About 1/3 cup
- 1 tsp Orange Blossom Water
Orange Honey Syrup
- Juice of 1 large Orange
- 2-3 tbsp honey
Caramelized Oranges
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 Orange, cut into slices, about 1/8" thick
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180C. Grease a 6" cake tin well.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the dry ingredients - semolina, almond meal, wholewheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar and orange zest. Give it all a good whisk to ensure there are no lumps.
- Add in the yogurt, orange blossom water, oil, and orange juice. Stir into the dry ingredients. whisk until a thick, smooth batter is formed.
- Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30-40 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached.
Orange Honey Syrup
- While the cake is baking, pour orange juice in a small saucepan and let it simmer for about 10 minutes till it's reduced by a third. Take it off the heat and stir in honey. Taste and adjust for taste. Let this syrup cool completely.
- Once the cake is baked, let it cool for 20 minutes. Then poke holes with a skewer. Spoon or brush the syrup all over the warm cake. Make sure the entire surface is covered with the syrup. Let the cake soak in the syrup.
- Once the cake is completely cool, top with toasted almonds and caramelized oranges. Serve with leftover syrup. Enjoy!
Caramelized Oranges
- Bring water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Let it cook until all the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the orange slices to the pan and let them simmer for 20-15 minutes till the rind is almost translucent and the syrup is really thick. Make sure you turn the slices over a couple of times.
- Take the caramelized slices out and place them on a rack. Cool them completely. At this point, you can allow them to dry for a few hours to harden them or use straight away.
Mary says
This cake sounds absolutely fabulous. It’s my birthday week and I shall make this cake for myself. Maybe I’ll share - just a bit!!
Natasha Minocha says
Hahaha! Hope you had a wonderful birthday Mary! So glad you liked the cake! xx
Maria says
Hai sis
???? can i know if i want to remove orange flavour is it possible, just semolina almond cake? Will the taste and texture will be the same or change sis. Thank you so much 4 the guide yaa
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Maria, yes, you can leave out the orange bit from the recipe.I'm sure it will taste good, just more of an almond vanilla flavour. Do let me know how this works out for you. Happy baking!
Poonam says
Hello,
I’m wondering if its possible to substitute the wholemeal flour with all purpose flour as Im gluten intolerant?
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Poonam, yes it is. But all-purpose flour also has gluten. Maybe try it with buckwheat?
Neema says
Hi ! Can I substitute sugar with coconut sugar or jaggery?
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Neema, yes sure. The taste will change a bit, but it should definitely work. 🙂
Agnes Tan says
Hi, this recipe is eggless but is it possible to add eggs if I want to? How many then can I add? And whole eggs or just yolks? Also can the oil be sub with melted butter? I kinda like these two ingredients in cakes.
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Agnes, yes, you can add 2 eggs. But you would have to reduce the quantity of yogurt, I think by 3/4 of a cup. Also, I think work with softened butter. Beating that with sugar, then adding eggs, one by one. Proceed with other ingredients as mentioned. Happy baking! 🙂
Elaine Hahn says
Hi
Like idea of this cake but if wanting to reduce sugar is it going to be moist enough without pouring sugar syrup on it
Thank you
Elaine
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Elaine, Glad you like the idea of this cake. Yes, you can do without the syrup on top. The cake should be fine without it as well. Hope this helps. 🙂
Monika says
I hate to ask about substitutions, so I apologize in advance.
Instead of using:
1 cup ( heaped) Semolina /Sooji
1/2 cup Almond Meal or Ground Almonds
Is it possible to use 1 1/2 semolina?
Thanks!
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Monika, so sorry for the late response! Yes, you can use semolina all the way in this cake. Hope this helps.Thank you for following along. Really appreciate it 🙂
Gini says
Your cake was so delicious I,have made it 2x in one month! Thank you for labouring over this for 5 years. We get to eat this awesomeness thanks to you.
Natasha Minocha says
Oh, thank you so much for your kind words, Gini. I'm so happy to hear this...you made my day!! xoxo 🙂