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Semolina Cake Recipe with Orange Syrup

Semolina Cake with Orange Syrup

A moist orange-scented semolina and almond cake soaked with fresh orange-lemon syrup. Serve it at room temperature with orange zest, pistachios, almonds, or a little icing sugar.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 minute
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 200 g Fine semolina
  • 100 g Ground almonds or almond meal
  • 150 g Granulated or caster sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 200 g Plain Greek yogurt
  • 120 ml Mild olive oil
  • 115 g Melted unsalted butter, alternative to olive oil
  • 3 eggs Large eggs
  • 2 oranges Finely grated orange zest
Orange Syrup
  • 120 ml Fresh orange juice
  • 100 g Granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Orange-blossom water, optional
Optional Finish
  • As needed Orange slices or strips of orange zest
  • As needed Icing sugar
  • As needed Chopped pistachios or almonds

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the oven to 180°C conventional, 160°C fan, or 350°F. Grease and line a 22–23 cm round cake tin with parchment paper.
  2. Mix the fine semolina, ground almonds, sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange zest in a large bowl. Stir until the zest is evenly distributed through the dry ingredients.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk the Greek yogurt, mild olive oil or melted unsalted butter, and eggs until smooth. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir just until combined.
  4. Let the batter stand for 5–10 minutes so the semolina can hydrate. Transfer it to the prepared tin and smooth the surface.
  5. Bake for 35–45 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Begin checking toward the shorter end of the baking time.
  6. While the cake bakes, simmer the orange juice, lemon juice, and sugar for about 3–5 minutes, just until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is slightly reduced. Stir in the orange-blossom water if using.
  7. Pierce the hot cake several times with a skewer, then slowly spoon the hot syrup over the surface. Allow the cake to cool in the tin so the syrup can absorb evenly.
  8. Rest the cake for at least 20–30 minutes, then transfer it to a serving plate. Garnish with orange zest, pistachios, almonds, or icing sugar and serve at room temperature.

Notes

Fine semolina gives the softest crumb, and resting the batter for 5–10 minutes improves hydration. Pour the syrup gradually over the warm cake rather than all at once. The flavor and texture are often even better after several hours or overnight. Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for longer storage, bringing it back to room temperature before serving.