Orange Semolina Cake (Ravani Greek Cake)

This Greek semolina cake is light, with an intense orange flavor and completely soaked in a honey syrup.

I love traveling to other countries through food. Desserts from Greece fascinate me. Phyllo pastries, nuts, and honey. I have a long list of recipes I want to try in the future.

This month we are back on our Traveling Through Flavors challenge, and I chose to make a cake. Ravani or revani has some semolina flour in it, I've never made anything with this flour before, so I wanted to try it. It also has olive oil instead of butter, which makes this cake perfect for those who can not have lactose.

The cake is light, more like a sponge. The eggs are whisked for 5 minutes along with the sugar to make all those air pockets. Then, the rest of the ingredients are added and the cake goes to the oven. Nothing weird, or complicated.

While the cake is baking, make a syrup with more oranges and the characteristic of this dessert, honey. The syrup must be poured while still hot, and the cake must be cold. This step took me a little more time. I poured a little of the syrup, waited until it was absorbed, put in a little bit more, and waited, and then one more time.

This semolina and orange cake can be served hot or cold. I left mine in the refrigerator overnight, waiting for it to absorb the syrup well.

As you can imagine, it's a very sweet dessert. I recommend serving it in small portions, although my boys do not think the same 🙂

Light and fresh. Perfect for our upcoming summer.

Recipe from Dimitra's Dishes.

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Orange Semolina Cake (Ravani Greek Cake)

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

20 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

This Greek semolina cake is light, with an intense orange flavor and completely soaked in a honey syrup.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Greek

Servings: 12

Calories: 253 kcal

Author: Lizet Bowen

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar (100g)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil (24g)
• orange zest from one orange
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cups semolina flour (150g)
• 1/2 cup flour (62.5g)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the syrup:

• juice of an orange
• 1 cup sugar (200g)
• 1/2 cup honey (170g)
• 1-1/2 cups water (354.8g)
• Whipped cream or ice cream to serve

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 176C / 350F. Cover a round cake pan (22 or 23 cm.) with parchment paper and grease.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric whisk, beat the eggs and sugar for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it triples in volume.
3. Add olive oil, orange zest and the vanilla. Mix with a spatula.
4. Sift the 2 flours, baking powder and salt. Add half of the flour to the eggs and mix gently. Add the rest of the flour and mix.
5. Pour the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the center of the cake is firm.
6. While the cake is in the oven, prepare the syrup.
7. In a small saucepan add all the ingredients for the syrup. Once it starts to boil, lower the heat and boil for 5 minutes. Keep the syrup hot.
8. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely. When the cake is cold, pour the hot syrup over the cake.

Recipe Notes

You can serve it hot, or let it cool in the refrigerator and serve it cold with whipped cream or ice cream.

You can prick the cake with a fork so that the syrup absorbs faster.

You might need to pour the syrup a little bit at a time. Wait for the cake to absorb it, and then add a little more, until the syrup is done.