Pistachio Rose Semolina Cake
An easy and exotic cake that sounds as impressive as it tastes. The semolina flour gives the cake a chewier texture. This cake is light, moist and fragrant and sure to impress.
Servings: 8
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup room temperature butter (plus more for greasing pan)
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 cup raw shelled, unsalted pistachios (plus more for decorating the cake)*
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1 cup fine semolina
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs (room temperature is best)
- 1 tsp lemon zest (approx. 1 medium lemon)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (approx. 1 medium lemon)
- 2 tbsp rose water
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch edible rose petals (optional - for the topping)
For the Glaze
- 1 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp rose water
- pinch cardamom
Instructions
The Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350*F (175*C).
- Grease the bottom and sides of 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan with some butter and line the bottom with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a food processor or blender, pulse 1 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, and 1/2 tsp cardamom powder till it forms a fine powder.
- Place the ground pistachio mixture in a large bowl, add 1 cup almond flour, 1 cup semolina, 1 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Mix well and set aside.
- In an electric mixer with whisk attachment, cream the 1 cup butter and 3/4 cup sugar till light and fluffy (about 5 mins). Scrape down the sides of the mixer, and cream the butter one more time to make sure it is well blended. Slowly add the 4 eggs, one at a time, mixing well to combine, and scraping down the sides, before adding each one.
- Remove the wet ingredients from the electric mixer. Now, using a spatula, gently start to fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Be careful not to over mix.
- Add the 1 tsp lemon zest, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tbsp rose water and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and fold it a few more times till just mixed. Again, be careful not to over mix. The batter will be quite thick.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish (it will be quite thick) and spread out with the back of your spatula to fill the pan. Bake for 55 to 60 mins till the edges turn golden, top is firm, and a wooden toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, but oily.
- Let the cake rest for at least 10 mins before removing from the pan. Allow to cool completely before glazing and serving.
The Glaze
- While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze.
- In a small bowl mix: 1 cup icing sugar, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp rose water, and pinch of cardamom till the lumps disappear and it forms a nice smooth glaze (it should have the consistency of honey. If it is too thin you may need to add more icing sugar to help thicken it. Too thick? Add a drop or two of water - a little goes a long way).
- Set aside at room temperature till ready to glaze the cake. It may thicken and settle a bit if it sits for too long, so give it a stir again before using.
To Serve
- When the cake has completely cooled (this is important, even if it is still a bit warm the cake will drink up all the glaze and it won't get that nice white layer on top), drizzle the prepared glaze over the cake and gently spread to coat. Allow the excess to drip off the sides of the cake.
- Sprinkle with more chopped pistachios and some rose petals and serve.
Notes
*If you cannot find unsalted pistachios, you can use salted shelled pistachios, but make sure to adjust the recipe and skip the salt.
The cake will keep well at room temperature for 2-3 days, but then I do recommend refrigerating and finishing it within 1 week of making it. But honestly it has never lasted that long for us.