I first tasted a cake like this on a summer holiday in Turkey. Washed down with a cup of strong coffee it was highly memorable and a treat I was determined to try to recreate. A good alternative to a simple flour sponge, the cake has a nutty, almost grainy texture and a terrific sweetness and floral flavour thanks to the light icing and orange flower water. It's a straightforward recipe but be careful on the baking time, as overcooking the cake will make it unpalatably dry.
Orange flower water and semolina cake
Serves 4
200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
250g caster sugar
150g plain flour
8g baking powder
4 eggs
80g semolina
20ml orange flower water
250g icing sugar
50ml hot water
Zest of 1 orange
Set the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4.
Line a 23cm loaf tin with greaseproof paper and set aside.
Place the butter and caster sugar in a mixing bowl and mix well, either by hand or with an electric mixer, until light and creamy.
Sieve the flour and baking powder together and mix a little into the butter mix, then mix in one egg. Repeat this step until all the eggs and flour are mixed in, then add the semolina and orange flower water and mix until smooth.
Place the mixture into the loaf tin and tap the base to smooth out any air pockets.
Bake the cake in the oven for 30-40 minutes. When cooked it will have risen and be firm to the touch. To check it's cooked you can insert a knife or skewer; if the blade comes out clean it is done.
Allow to the cake to cool on a wire rack before carefully removing it from the tin.
Now make the icing. Mix the icing sugar with the hot water then pour the icing over the cake, finishing it by finely grating the zest of the orange on top.
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