A Gorgeous Recipe from Nadiya Hussain

Orange Semolina Cake 

My mum doesn’t much like cake, but she loves semolina, so this is one cake that I make for her all the time. The semolina makes it dense and is the perfect vehicle for the sweet orange blossom syrup that it drinks up when hot and baked. This cake is simple, sweet and perfect for when you are out and about.

Vegetarian
Makes 9 squares

Ingredients

For the cake 

200g fine semolina 

25g desiccated coconut 

40g plain flour 

175g caster sugar 

80ml olive oil, plus extra for greasing 

125g Greek yoghurt 

190ml whole milk 

2 teaspoons orange blossom water

2 teaspoons baking powder 

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 

For the syrup 

juice of 1 lime 

juice of 1 lemon 

50g caster sugar

70ml water 

1 large orange

Instructions 

Lightly grease and line a 20cm square tin, ideally loose bottomed if you have one. 

Start by putting all the dry cake ingredients in a bowl: the semolina, coconut, flour and sugar. Mix well.

Now, pour the oil, yoghurt, milk and orange blossom water into the dry ingredients and mix till you have an even cake batter. Leave covered for about 40 minutes to allow the semolina and coconut to soak up that liquid.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 170°C/gas mark 5.

Uncover the bowl, add the baking powder and bicarb and mix in well. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and spread into a thin, even layer. Bake for 35 minutes, till a skewer comes out clean. 

While the cake is baking, make the syrup. Squeeze the juice of the lime and lemon into a small pan and add the sugar and the water. Slice the orange into thin slices and add to the syrup mixture. Pop onto the heat, bring the boil and leave to simmer on the lowest heat for 20 minutes. 

As soon as the cake is out of the oven, poke holes all over with a skewer. Slowly drizzle over the syrup right onto the hot cake. Spread the slices of orange all over. 

Leave to cool in the tin for 30 minutes. Take out, cut and this sweet, zesty semolina cake is ready to eat.