Semolina Cake
Published Jan 30, 2023•Updated Oct 16, 2024
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If you’ve been looking for a simple, one-bowl dessert recipe, then this Semolina Cake is for you. Pouring lemon-infused simple syrup over the golden-yellow top keeps this cake moist for days after baking.
Who would have thought that a flour used mostly for pasta would make such a magical cake, but that’s exactly what durum flour does in this easy dessert recipe. This semolina cake has tons of fans thanks to its sweet and sticky bottom, moist middle, and cakey texture. It’s also universally loved because it’s just such a breeze to make.
Making the simple syrup a week or two in advance means all you need to do is mix your ingredients in a single bowl, bake the cake, and pour the sweetened syrup over the top before serving. The lemon in this cake gives it tons of spring and summer vibes, but adding a few warming spices instantly turns it into a cozy fall treat.
How to Make It
- Make syrup: Bring water and ¾ cup sugar to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Allow to cool.
- Make the cake: Whisk together eggs and remaining sugar until combined. Add yogurt and vegetable oil and whisk again until evenly combined. Add semolina, all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gently fold ingredients together until just combined.
- Bake: Bake for 30-34 minutes. When the cake is done, the edges will be golden brown, and the texture will be firm but have a little spring.
- Add syrup: Pour the syrup evenly over the cake, and allow it to absorb the sticky sweetness.
- Let the cake cool, and then serve.
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Pin It NowWhat is semolina flour?
Semolina flour is a hearty variety of yellow flour made from durum wheat. While semolina is most often used to make pasta – its super high protein content is great for helping pasta keep its shape after being cooked in boiling water, it also makes terrifically crumbly and textured baked treats. Because semolina naturally has a gorgeous yellow color, cakes and pastries made with semolina have the most beautiful color when you pull them from the oven.
What is simple syrup and how to make it
Simple syrup has tons of uses in the kitchen, and it can be made ahead and stored for up to a month in the refrigerator. Besides being an easy way to add some sweetness to baked goods, it’s also used in cocktails. If you love mojitos, mint juleps, gimlets, and old fashioneds, it doesn’t hurt to have some simple syrup on hand.
Making simple syrup is easy. Combine one part water and one part sugar in a saucepan, stirring occasionally until all of the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool before storing.
If you’re not a fan of sugar, you can also use a 1:1 ratio of honey and water.
Ingredients
- Semolina – Semolina flour gives baked goods the most wonderful golden-yellow color, and dense, teacake-like texture.
- Plain Yogurt – Plain yogurt has a tangy neutral flavor that allows the other flavors to shine. If you don’t have plain yogurt, non-fat Greek yogurt would also work. Using a berry flavored yogurt is also a popular choice if you’re layering in different fruit flavors.
- All-Purpose Flour – Semolina is our main flour ingredient, but we still need a few tablespoons of all purpose to hold the cake together.
- Vegetable Oil – Vegetable oil is a good go-to baking oil for its neutral flavor. You could also try grapeseed, olive oil, coconut oil, or saffron oil.
- Eggs, White Sugar, Pure Vanilla Extract, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt – Basic kitchen baking ingredients to add lift, bind the things together, and add a subtle sweet vanilla flavor.
- Simple Syrup – The secret ingredient to a moist, sweet semolina cake is simple syrup.
Variations
This semolina cake makes it so easy to add your own personal touches. There is no limit to the fun variations you can create using this cake as your base.
- Add chopped pecans, almonds, or walnuts for a sweet, nutty flavor.
- Substitute orange water or rosewater for the lemon.
- Add dried fruits like chopped dates or apricots.
- Lean into those spring and summer flavors by adding fresh strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries.
- Including some shredded coconut to this semolina cake will add a little more sweetness and a fun crunch to each bite.
- Craving some warm seasonal spices? Cardamon, nutmeg, and cinnamon would be divine in this recipe.
Recipe Tip
For an extra sweet and syrupy cake texture, pour the simple syrup over the cake and then let it rest overnight. Giving a few extra hours for the cake to absorb the syrup creates the most amazingly sweet bottom layer.
FAQs
Semolina is very high in gluten. If you have a gluten sensitivity, you could swap the semolina for a gluten-free flour like almond, coconut, or oat, but the finer texture of these flours will change the density of this cake.
If you want to freeze this cake and serve it at a later date, allow the cake to cool completely and skip adding the simple syrup. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap to preserve the freshness, and store in a sealed container. When you’re ready to serve, bring the cake to room temperature, and pour the simple syrup over the top. Slice, serve, and watch it disappear.
Semolina cake is one of those cakes that is great at room temperature, or with a little chill on it. You can store this cake by letting it cool, and tightly covering the cake pan with plastic wrap. Store for up to 3 days.
More Easy 8×8 Cakes
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Pin It NowSemolina Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Square Baking Dish
- Saucepan
- Whisk
Ingredients
For the syrup:
- 3/4 cup water
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
For the cake:
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt (see note)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup semolina (see note)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 177°C
- Lightly grease an 8”x8” (20 cm x 20 cm) baking dish with cooking spray or lightly rub it with cooking oil.
- Make syrup: Combine water and 3/4 cup sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 1 minute to fully dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice (if using). Set aside to cool completely.
- Make the cake: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and 1/2 cup sugar until sugar dissolves. Add yogurt and vegetable oil and whisk again until evenly combined. Add semolina, all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir just until everything is combined (do not overmix). Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake: Bake until the center of the cake is set and the edges are golden brown and start to pull away from the sides, 30 to 34 minutes. (Note: Gently press on the cake in the center to be sure that it has cooked all the way through – it should have a springy but firm texture.)
- Add syrup: Remove the cake from the oven and slowly pour the syrup over top, making sure to pour syrup evenly over the entire surface. (Note: much of the syrup will drip down the sides which is fine. The cake will absorb the syrup from the bottom as it sits.)
- Let the cake cool completely before slicing and serving. (The cake is also great served chilled. If not serving immediately, store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Amazing recipe, and very creative! I put a little twist on the simple syrup recipe and added little less water/sugar and substituted for 7-Up, and let it boil a little longer to reduce. Very delicious, thank you so much for sharing!
What a fun twist! Thanks so much for sharing that idea Jim!
Wow! Delicious and so easy to make. The semolina flour makes for a beautiful crumb and even with the syrup the cake isn’t too sweet. Instead of lemon in the syrup, I added a pod of star anise and the peel of half an orange to the simmering sugar water mixture.
Delicious additions! That sounds great!
Hi Jess! I want to try this recipe, but I don’t have a 8×8 on me. Can I make it with an 11×7? Should I change it in any way to fit that pan? Thank you so much!
That should be just fine! Just keep an eye on it as it cooks – it may finish baking a few minutes earlier.
I made the old recipe you had posted with some tweaks. I have revisited today bake it again to discover you have adapted the recipe. Do you still have the old recipe and previous comments?
Hi Sue – I’ve made no changes to the recipe or the comments. Any comments that were posted in the past remain at the bottom of the screen. I did add metric equivalents to the recipe itself and update the language a bit, but it’s still the exact same recipe you’ve made in the past (one of my favorites!). The post may look a little different because it includes all new photos.
Thank you for the reply back, however I still cannot see previous comments, only comments (33) that have been posted this year.
Oh wow – I apologize – you’re completely right. I’m actually not sure what would have caused that, but will look into it. The recipe, however, has not changed. We made a few small stylistic changes to the instructions to fit with my current style, but the measurements and method are the same as the original.
Love this recipe! I used a course semolina, have you had success with medium or fine grade as well? What is recommended?
I haven’t tried fine grade, but it works well with medium and coarse and just affects the texture / crumb. So glad you liked it!!
My usual is full fat yogurt. Can I dilute Ruth milk to get the right consistency? Guessing 1 part milk, 3 parts ff yogurt.
That sounds about right to me – a 1:3 ratio should work.
This recipe is amazing, thanks for sharing! I baked using 3/4 of given measures due to my tray size and it worked perfectly. Thanks for the notes on the syrup, I only used half and it is a perfect match to my taste.
I followed the steps but the batter turned out runny. Perhaps it is because I used olive oil or maybe I did not beat the egg and sugar long enough? Anyway, I added more semolina flour and AP – tablespoon by tablespoon – until the batter thickened. After that I baked in the oven for 33 minutes. I then turned off the oven, left the oven ajar for 5 minutes. Well, the cake turned out delicious! So big thank you Jess. What a blessing to bump into your website! 😁
So glad you liked it John! Thank you for the note.
Jess,
Is there a way to turn this into a dark chocolate cake?
Hi Tara – I’ve never tried it, but if you have success, please share!
This cake turned out AMAZING!🤩thank you for sharing it with us.
Dear Jess
Thanks for your recipe. Was going to try it out today as it looks delicious. Just one question before, if you don’t mind. For the syrup you say sugar 3/4 cup = 75g. but for batter you say 1/2 cup sugar = 100g. If 3/4 cup = 75g then half cup should be 50g. Which is the correct measurement please? Many thanks.
Hi Philip – thanks so much for catching that error on our side. 3/4 cup is correct, but should be 150g. We’ve corrected the recipe now. Thanks again!