Orange Blossom Semolina Cake with Pistachios

Name: Orange Blossom Semolina Cake with Pistachios
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 43 min
Total time: 1 h 8 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan; 1¼ cups (200 g) fine semolina; ½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; 2 tsp (8 g) baking powder; ¼ tsp (1 g) baking soda; ½ tsp (3 g) fine salt; ⅓ cup (50 g) shelled unsalted pistachios, finely ground into a coarse meal in a food processor or by hand; 3 large (150 g) large eggs, at room temperature; ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar; 1 tbsp (6 g) orange zest, finely grated from 1 large orange (juice the orange for the syrup); 1 cup (245 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, at room temperature; ½ cup (120 ml) neutral oil such as sunflower or canola; 1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract; 2 tsp (10 ml) orange blossom water; ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar; ½ cup (120 ml) water; ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh orange juice, strained, from the zested orange; 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; 1 tbsp (15 ml) orange blossom water; ⅓ cup (40 g) shelled unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A tender, golden yogurt-and-semolina cake, studded with ground pistachios and soaked in a fragrant orange blossom syrup. It's moist, lightly crumbly and perfect with coffee or tea at breakfast.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 43 min
Wait: 59 min
Total: 2 hr 7 min
Makes: 1 round cake (12 slices)

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Ingredients

12 servings

For the pan
1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter, softened, for greasing the pan
For the cake
1¼ cups (200 g) fine semolina
½ cup (60 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
2 tsp (8 g) baking powder
¼ tsp (1 g) baking soda
½ tsp (3 g) fine salt
⅓ cup (50 g) shelled unsalted pistachios, finely ground into a coarse meal in a food processor or by hand
3 large (150 g) large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (6 g) orange zest, finely grated from 1 large orange (juice the orange for the syrup)
1 cup (245 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, at room temperature
½ cup (120 ml) neutral oil such as sunflower or canola
1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
2 tsp (10 ml) orange blossom water
For the syrup
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (120 ml) water
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh orange juice, strained, from the zested orange
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 ml) orange blossom water
To finish
⅓ cup (40 g) shelled unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Equipment (8)

9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan, at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep
Parchment paper
Large mixing bowl and medium bowl
Whisk and rubber spatula
Small saucepan (1½ quart / 1.5 L)
Microplane or fine grater
Wire rack
Toothpick or cake tester

Steps

Before you start

Take the eggs and yogurt out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead so they mix smoothly.
Use fine semolina (sometimes labeled 'fine' or 'semolina flour'). Coarse semolina gives a gritty, drier crumb.
The batter must rest 20 minutes, and the cake needs about 45 minutes to soak and cool, so plan for just over 2 hours in total.
Orange blossom water varies in strength. Brands differ, so measure carefully and don't add extra.

1
Heat oven, prep panOven 350°F / 175°C
- Position a rack in the center and heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease the sides and bottom of a 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan with the softened butter.
- Line the bottom with a circle of parchment and lightly butter the parchment.
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Ready when: Pan is evenly coated with no bare patches.
Tip: Use a pan at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep so the syrup doesn't overflow later.
2
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the semolina, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 30 seconds until evenly combined.
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Ready when: No streaks of baking powder or soda are visible.
3
Whisk wet ingredients
- In a large bowl, rub the orange zest into the 150 g (¾ cup) cake sugar with your fingertips for about 30 seconds, until the sugar looks damp and smells strongly of orange.
- Add the eggs and whisk vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes until pale and slightly thickened.
- Whisk in the yogurt, oil, vanilla and 2 tsp (10 ml) orange blossom water until smooth.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth, pale yellow and fully emulsified with no oil slick on top.
Tip: Rubbing zest into sugar releases the orange oils for a stronger flavor.
4
Combine batter
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions.
- Whisk gently after each addition just until no dry pockets remain.
- The batter will be fairly thick, similar to a thick pancake batter.
- Cover the bowl and let it rest.
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Ready when: No dry flour or semolina visible; batter is thick but pourable.
Tip: Don't overmix. A few seconds of extra whisking is fine, but a minute or more makes the cake tough.
5
Make syrup, rest batter
- While the batter rests, combine the syrup sugar, water, orange juice and lemon juice in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring once or twice to dissolve the sugar.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in 1 tbsp (15 ml) orange blossom water.
- Let the syrup cool in the pan while the batter finishes its 20-minute rest, so the semolina fully hydrates.
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Ready when: Syrup is clear and slightly thickened, coating the back of a spoon lightly. It should be cool or just warm when poured.
Tip: Add the orange blossom water off the heat. Boiling it dulls the floral aroma.
6
Fold in pistachios, fill pan
- Stir the batter once more, then fold in the ground pistachios with a spatula until evenly distributed.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Tap the pan firmly on the counter twice to release large air bubbles.
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Ready when: Batter is level and the pistachio meal is evenly distributed.
Tip: Bake right away. The baking powder starts working as soon as the batter is stirred.
7
Bake the cakeOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake in the center of the 350°F (175°C) oven for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan after 25 minutes if your oven bakes unevenly.
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Ready when: The top is deep golden, the edges pull slightly from the pan, a toothpick in the center comes out clean, and the center springs back when pressed (about 205°F / 96°C inside).
Tip: Don't open the oven before 25 minutes or the cake may sink.
8
Pour syrup over cake
- Set the pan on a wire rack.
- Right away, poke the hot cake all over at ½-inch (1 cm) intervals with a toothpick or skewer.
- Slowly spoon or pour the cooled syrup over the cake, about a third at a time, letting each addition soak in before adding the next.
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Ready when: The surface looks glossy and the syrup is fully absorbed without pooling at the edges.
Tip: Hot cake plus cool syrup is the key: the cake absorbs the syrup evenly instead of turning soggy.
9
Soak and cool
- Leave the cake in the pan on the rack for 45 minutes so the syrup is fully absorbed and the crumb sets.
- Run a thin knife around the edge, then turn the cake out onto a plate or serving platter.
- Peel off the parchment and flip it right-side up.
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Ready when: The pan is just warm to the touch and the cake releases cleanly.
10
Garnish and slice
- Scatter the chopped pistachios over the top, pressing lightly so they stick to the glossy surface.
- Cut into 12 wedges with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts.
- Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
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Ready when: Pistachios are evenly distributed and slices are clean.
Tip: For neat slices, chill the cake for 30 minutes first.

Good to know

Tips

Use fine semolina and rest the batter. Resting lets the grains soften, which prevents a gritty texture.
Pour cooled syrup over a hot cake, never the reverse, for even absorption without sogginess.
Orange blossom water is potent. Measure with a spoon rather than pouring from the bottle.
Toast the garnish pistachios in a dry skillet for 3 minutes for deeper flavor, and cool before using.

Make ahead

"Bake and soak the cake up to 1 day ahead. Cover and keep at room temperature, then add the chopped pistachios just before serving. The flavor and moisture improve overnight."

Storage & reheating

"Room temperature: covered, up to 2 days. Fridge: airtight, up to 5 days; bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before serving, or warm slices for 10 seconds in the microwave. Freezer: wrap unsyruped garnish-free slices tightly and freeze up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge."

Substitutions

plain whole-milk yogurt → Full-fat Greek yogurt thinned with 2 tbsp (30 ml) milk, or buttermilk. Keep the total to about 1 cup (245 g) for the same batter consistency.
orange blossom water → Rose water (half the amount) or 1 tsp vanilla extract. Rose water is stronger, so use only about half. Vanilla gives a milder flavor.
shelled unsalted pistachios → Ground almonds. Gives a similar texture and a milder flavor. Use the same weight.
neutral oil such as sunflower or canola → Melted unsalted butter, slightly cooled. Adds a richer, buttery flavor, but the crumb will be a little less moist.