What is it about a semolina yoghurt cake that makes it sound exotic at the very mention of it? I set my heart on this semolina cake the minute I lay my eyes on this simple recipe. If you read my earlier post on Baklava, you are aware of my new found love for rose essence. Seeing rose water in the list of ingredients in this cake made it all the more important for me to try this cake.
This is a semolina cake made with yoghurt. From all the cakes I’ve made using yoghurt, I’ve learnt that it makes the cake extremely soft, the kind that will melt in your mouth in the first bite. The Honey Yoghurt Cake from my earlier blog is absolute proof too. Semolina and rose put together do give the cake a rather Mediterranean feel and that is exotic for me. Is it for you?
Semolina cake is slightly more demanding than a regular cake, that it requires the egg whites to be beaten separately and then incorporated into the rest of the mixture. That’s the only fussing it needs. The rest of the ingredients come together quite effortlessly.
I did go a little astray from my usual have at hand pantry ingredients with this cake, as it requires almond flour. I had to do a bit of looking for that but was happy to find it on Bigbasket. All the effort was well worth it. This cake is lovely and the little rose water syrup on it makes it quite alluring.
I’ve adapted this recipe from Tessa Kiros’ book Falling Cloudberries. It is so much more than a book of recipes. A book full of memories around food, childhood, culture, all intertwined around food. Just my favourite kind, such a fabulous read.
Yoghurt Semolina Cake
Adapted from Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros.
Ingredients:
For the cake:
1/2 cup / 113 gms butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup yoghurt
1 tbsp rose water
3 eggs, separated.
1 cup flour
1 cup fine semolina
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup almond flour
For the syrup:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp rose essence
Method:
- Preheat the oven to a 180 C. Grease and line a medium sized loaf tin.
- Keep all the ingredients ready. Separate the egg and make sure the butter is softened.
- In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites till they form soft peaks. Keep aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and the sugar using an electric beater. Beat till the mixture is creamy
- Add the yoghurt, rose essence and the egg yolks. Beat on medium speed till just combined.
- Add the flour, semolina, baking powder and the almond flour. Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until the flour is well incorporated.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes.
- As the cake bakes, you can make the syrup.
- Put the sugar, water and rose essence in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Leave it boiling for about 5 minutes and then turn off the stove.
- When the cake is ready, pour the hot syrup all over the cake.
- Let the cake soak in all the syrup and cool completely before you slice it.
