Aunt Zanebs Semolina Cake Recipes

SEMOLINA YOGURT CAKE

Steps:

• 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.)

BASBOUSA: ALMOND COCONUT SEMOLINA CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the butter in a small bowl and melt in the microwave. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine together the sugar and yogurt. Now add in the semolina, baking powder and milk. Finally stir in the melted butter, and let the mixture sit briefly so that the butter is absorbed.
• Transfer the semolina mixture into a lightly greased 9"-round cake pan or baking dish. Bake in the 350 degrees F-heated oven for about 40-45 minutes. If necessary, broil ever so briefly so that the top of the basbousa gains color. Watch carefully. When ready, remove from oven.
• While the cake is baking, prepare the cinnamon simple syrup. In a small sauce pan or pot, combine the sugar, water and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil on high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Turn heat to low and let cook for a few minutes until the syrup thickens. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Let cool completely, then remove the cinnamon stick.
• As soon as the basbousa is removed from the oven, pour the cool syrup on the hot basbousa. Let cool completely; syrup must be absorbed into the cake. For best result, let it sit for 1 hour before serving.
• When ready to serve, top the cake with the coconut chips and the coconut and shaved almonds. Slice and enjoy!

ALMOND SPONGE CAKES WITH NUTELLA® HAZELNUT SPREAD

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, almond flour and sifted all-purpose flour.
• Stir in egg whites and melted butter until well combined. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a mini muffin pan; divide batter equally among 24 muffin cups or in muffin pan.
• Bake on center rack for 12 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes in pan on rack; remove from pan.
• Use a toothpick to create a small hole in each cake.
• Spoon Nutella® into piping bag; fill each hole with 1/2 tsp of Nutella® hazelnut spread.
• Garnish tops with remaining Nutella® and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

AUNTIE ANNE'S MATRIMONIAL CAKE

Steps:

• Date Filling: Cook dates in water with orange rind {grated} with sugar over a moderate heat until thickened and smooth remove from heat and add fruit juices mix well and cool before spreading.
• Crumb Mixture: Sift flour, baking soda and salt rub in butter add sugar and oatmeal mix well spread 1/2 of the crumb mixture in a greased pan and press in smoothly. Cover with cooled date mixture evenly then cover with the remaining crumb mixture pat to make smooth bake 30 - 35 minutes in a cool oven 325 Fahrenheit then increase the heat to 350 Fahrenheit to lightly brown cake.
• Cut in squares while hot allow to cool in pan.
• Note: Date mixture can be cut in half if you do not want that much filling. Crumb mixture I blend the butter well with the crumb mixture then I put the mixture in my Kitchen Aid stand mixer on the lowest setting for about 3 minutes until well blended to crumb consistency only do not over blend in mixer it will happen quickly about 1 - 3 minutes depending on how soft your butter is in the beginning.
• Note: I use cold butter for the crumble mixture. We like like this date crumble very delicately browned so we don't turn the oven up to 350 Fahrenheit just keep it at 325 for 10 more minutes after the 30 minutes. I also add quite a bit more lemon and just about a 1/4 cup of dates more that are chopped and pitted that's how our family likes this cake. I also let the date mixture marry for a couple of days in the refrigerator and then reduce it somewhat on very low heat then cool for baking the cake.