Name: Fennel-spiced semolina cake with yoghurt
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 8 - 10
Ingredients: 220 gm softened butter; 200 gm caster sugar; Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange; 4 eggs; 2 tsp baking powder; 200 gm fine semolina; 150 gm almond meal; 100 gm finely chopped roasted almonds, plus extra to serve; 125 ml (½ cup) buttermilk; 3 tsp roasted fennel seeds, ground; Finely grated orange rind, to serve; Sweetened yoghurt; 300 gm thick natural yoghurt; 100 gm pure icing sugar, sifted; Lemon syrup; 3 pieces of lemon rind, removed with a peeler; 80 gm caster sugar

Fennel-spiced semolina cake with yoghurt

This combination of citrus, sugar and spice makes for an unbeatable afternoon-tea treat.

Serves 8 - 10

Prep

15M

Cook

35M

Total

50M

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This delicately spiced cake is at its best served warm. Begin this recipe a day ahead to drain the yoghurt.

Ingredients

220 gm softened butter

200 gm caster sugar

Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange

4 eggs

2 tsp baking powder

200 gm fine semolina

150 gm almond meal

100 gm finely chopped roasted almonds, plus extra to serve

125 ml (½ cup) buttermilk

3 tsp roasted fennel seeds, ground

Finely grated orange rind, to serve

Sweetened yoghurt

300 gm thick natural yoghurt

100 gm pure icing sugar, sifted

Lemon syrup

3 pieces of lemon rind, removed with a peeler

80 gm caster sugar

Method

1.For sweetened yoghurt, place yoghurt in a muslin-lined sieve over a bowl and refrigerate overnight to drain. Discard liquid. Combine with sugar until smooth and refrigerate until needed.

2.Preheat oven to 170°C. Butter a 22cm cake tin and line with baking paper. Beat butter, sugar and citrus rinds in an electric mixer until pale and fluffy (8-10 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then add baking powder, semolina, almond meal, almonds, citrus juice, buttermilk, fennel seed and a pinch of salt and mix to just combine. Spoon into tin and bake until cake is golden and a skewer inserted withdraws clean (35 minutes).

3.For lemon syrup, combine ingredients with 80ml water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

4.Pierce cake all over with a skewer, then drizzle with syrup and set aside to cool (1-2 hours).

5.Scatter cake with extra nuts and orange rind and serve with sweet yoghurt.