Semolina Cake with Pistachios and Honey

by Aysegul Sanford

Semolina Cake with Pistachios and Honey

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  35 mins

Total time:  50 mins

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• For the cake
• 1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup (3.75 ounces) + 1 tablespoon all purpose flour, divided
• ⅔ cup (4 ounces) semolina
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• ⅔ cup (4.67 ounces) superfine sugar*
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1 ½ cups (8 ounces) + 3 tablespoons pistachios, divided
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• cute small flowers, washed (optional)
• For the syrup
• ¾ cup honey
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F Degrees. Generously butter and flour (use the 1 tablespoons flour) a 9 inch spring form pan. Set aside.
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix flour, semolina, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a food processor, measure 1½-cups of pistachios and pulse 8-10 times until they are finely ground. Place it in a small bowl and set aside.
4. Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer (you could do this with hand mixer as well) with paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for 5 minutes. Reduce to low speed and slowly add the vegetable oil.
5. While it is in low speed, add in the flour mixture in three batches and mix until combined, just until the batter comes together. Do not overmix.
6. Fold in the ground pistachios and lemon zest.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Using the back of a spoon or a spatula, ensure that the cake is equally distributed throughout the pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle.
8. In the mean time, make the syrup. In a small saucepan, place the honey, water, and lemon juice. Bring it to a boil, over high heat. Once it is boiled, turn down the heat to medium and let it simmer until it is reduced by half. This takes 15-20 minutes.
9. When the cake is still hot, using a toothpick, poke holes (30-40 holes) on the cake. Using a spoon, drizzle the syrup over the cake making sure that it absorbs it evenly. It is imperative that you do this when it is still hot for the cake to absorb the honey syrup.
10. Allow it to cool completely.
11. In the mean time, roughly chop 3 tablespoons of pistachios.
12. When ready to serve, decorate the top of the cake with pistachios and small flowers, if using.

Notes

* To make superfine sugar for this recipe, I processed ⅔ cup +1 tablespoon granulated sugar in my food processor for 1 minute.