Soft, moist and bursting with bright citrus flavor, this Orange Semolina Almond Cake is really a fabulously lush tea time treat!
Servings: 6servings
Calories:
Author: Natasha Minocha
Ingredients
1cup ( heaped)Semolina /Sooji
1/2cupAlmond Meal or Ground Almonds
1/4cupWholewheat flour
1/2tspbaking soda
1tspbaking powder
1/4tspsalt
2tspFresh orange zest
1/2cupsugar
1cupYogurtPlease use thick yogurt.
1/3cupoil
Juice of 1 large OrangeAbout 1/3 cup
1tspOrange Blossom Water
Orange Honey Syrup
Juice of 1 large Orange
2-3tbsphoney
Caramelized Oranges
1/2cupWater
1/3cupsugar
1Orange, 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.