Greek Orange Semolina Cake
Moist, syrupy, and very fragrant. This citrusy Semolina Orange Cake is made with Greek yogurt instead of butter, giving it a creamy, buttery-thick texture without any butter!
Equipment
Ingredients
For The Syrup:
- 500 grams (2½ cups) sugar
- 250 ml (1 cup) water
- 250 ml (1 cup) fresh orange juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 orange cups/orange halves from squeezed oranges
For The Cake:
- 250 grams (1 ¼ cups) sugar
- 5 medium-sized eggs
- 300 grams (1¼ cups) Greek yogurt
- 1 orange zested
- 160 ml (⅔ cup) corn or sunflower oil
- 160 ml (⅔ cup) fresh orange juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 180 grams (1½ cups) self-raising flour
- 200 grams (1 cup + 2 tablespoons) fine semolina (not flour)
Instructions
Make The Syrup:
- Scoop the insides of the 2 orange cups (orange halves) with a spoon to remove any remaining pulp and as much as possible from the white part.
- Add all the ingredients for the syrup (including the orange cups) to a small cooking pot or large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Cook the syrup for 5-6 minutes until slightly thickened. Time counts from the moment it starts to boil and bubble. Take off the heat and set aside.
Make The Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F.
- Combine semolina and self-raising flour.
- Mix yogurt, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla extract in a bowl. Set aside.
- Beat eggs and sugar until frothy, thickened, and turn whitish in color. To do this, use your electric mixer with the whisk attachment on, at high speed.
- Pour oil threadlike into the eggs while beating.
- Add the yogurt mixture.
- Incorporate the flour-semolina mixture gradually. Once fully combined, turn off the mixer, don't overmix.
- Spray or brush a 23 x 33 cm (13 x 9-inch) baking pan with oil.
- Transfer the cake batter to the pan.
- Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Ladle the syrup over the cake. And leave it inside the oven with the oven's door open until it absorbs all of the syrup.
- Thinly slice the orange cups and sprinkle them over the cake to decorate.
- Cut the cake into 15 pieces.
- Let the cake cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 4-6 hours and serve!