semolina cake

Semolina cake gets its rich, tender crumb from yogurt and a honey-lemon syrup. Ready in about 1 hour, with a moist texture that stays soft for days.

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Total Time 1 1

Servings: 12 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Calories: 260

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Cake batter

1.5 cup semolina
1 cup plain yogurt
0.5 cup sugar
0.5 cup neutral oil
0.25 cup all-purpose flour
2 unit eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
0.25 teaspoon baking soda
0.5 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Syrup

0.5 cup sugar
0.5 cup water
2 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon honey

Method

Batter preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease a 9-inch square or round baking pan.
In a large bowl, combine semolina, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to blend.
In another bowl, whisk together yogurt, eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until smooth.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir just until combined—don’t overmix. The batter will look thick; that’s normal for semolina cakes.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Use a spatula to even out the top.
Let the batter rest in the pan for 10 minutes. This gives the semolina time to hydrate, so the cake bakes up softer.
Bake for 33–38 minutes, until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Syrup

When the cake is almost done, combine sugar, water, lemon juice, and honey in a small saucepan.
Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 3–4 minutes, just until the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat. Don’t reduce for longer—the syrup should be thin, not thick like honey.

Finishing

Right after you take the cake out, slowly pour half of the warm syrup over the hot cake—it will sizzle and soak in. Wait 10 minutes, then pour the rest gradually until absorbed.
Let the cake cool completely before slicing. Tip: For squares with clean edges, use a damp knife.

Notes

I make this semolina cake any time I want dessert that feels a little special but doesn’t wreck my whole kitchen. The syrup cracks as you cut in and then soaks into the crumb — that’s the part that keeps me coming back.

Behind the scenes: real-life tips

Trust me on letting the batter rest for 10 minutes before baking. Semolina soaks up liquid slowly, and this pause means your cake comes out moist instead of weirdly dry in the center.

If you want extra flavor, sprinkle toasted slivered almonds over the batter just before baking. They toast up golden and give you that mix of soft cake and crunch.

One thing you can’t skip: pouring the syrup while the cake is still hot. I’ve tried waiting until things cooled, and the syrup just sits on top instead of soaking through.

Substitutions that actually work

You can swap Greek yogurt for regular — just thin it with a splash of milk first. I wouldn’t try this cake with all whole-wheat flour though; it goes gummy. Stick to the mix of semolina and white flour.

For the syrup, maple works as a swap for honey, but it’ll change the flavor toward caramel. Still good, just different!

Meal prep and storage

This cake keeps on the counter (covered) for up to 4 days and honestly tastes even better on the second day because the flavors settle in. It freezes well, too — wrap individual pieces so you can thaw one square at a time.