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Blood Orange Semolina Cake

Blood Orange, Saffron and Semolina Cake Recipe

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Course Dessert

Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 cup raw or turbinado sugar
  • 2 blood oranges very thinly sliced, seeds removed
  • 1 1/2 cups semolina flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp. finely grated blood orange zest
  • 1 pinch saffron threads
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 tbs. orange blossom water
  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled

Instructions
 

  • Make the infused sugar: Combine the blood orange zest and saffron threads with the granulated sugar and use your hands to rub the zest and saffron into the sugar until it is fragrant and slightly colored by the zest and saffron. Set aside until needed.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 10-inch cake pan. Dust the turbinado sugar over the bottom of the greased pan. Arrange the orange slices in circles over the sugar, pressing them closely together.
  • Make the cake batter: Whisk flour, infused sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
  • Add eggs, buttermilk, orange blossom water and butter; mix until no dry spots remain (a few lumps are OK; do not overmix).
  • Pour batter over oranges in pan and bake until top is golden brown and cake pulls away from sides of pan, 35-40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 5 minutes before inverting and turning out onto a rack or a large plate.
  • Serve slices with labne and saffron honey.

Notes

You may keep the rind of the orange on or remove it. Regular oranges can be substituted for the blood oranges.
Chaya Rappoport is the blogger, baker and picture taker behind retrolillies.wordpress.com. Currently a pastry sous chef at a Brooklyn bakery, she's been blogging since 2012 and her work has been featured on The Feed Feed, Delish.com, Food and Wine and Conde Nast Traveler.
The Nosher food blog offers a dazzling array of new and classic Jewish recipes and food news, from Europe to Yemen, from challah to shakshuka and beyond. Check it out at www.TheNosher.com.