Lighter Greek Orange Semolina Cake
A syrup-soaked Greek semolina cake made lighter with whole wheat semolina, olive oil and orange—half the usual sugar.
Best for A wholegrain-leaning dessert with lower added sugar and heart-friendly olive oil
This is my leaner take on the Greek classic samali—the coarse, honeyed semolina cake you find in bakeries from Athens to Thessaloniki. I keep the tender, slightly gritty crumb everyone loves but swap in wholegrain semolina and Greek yogurt for body, use fruity olive oil instead of butter, and drench it in a bright orange syrup sweetened mostly by the fruit itself rather than a cup of sugar. It tastes like a proper dessert—not a compromise—and a small square with coffee genuinely satisfies.
Ingredients
- 200 g coarse wholegrain semolina , whole wheat if available; else regular coarse semolina
- 60 g Whole-wheat flour
- 10 g Baking powder
- 250 g Plain Greek yogurt , full or low-fat, at room temperature
- 80 ml olive oil , mild, fruity
- 3 large eggs , large, at room temperature
- 60 g honey , for the batter
- 3 oranges , 2 zested and juiced, 1 for syrup and garnish
- 5 ml Vanilla extract
- 50 g honey , for the syrup
- 1 Cinnamon stick , for the syrup (optional – can be omitted)
Instructions
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1
Heat the oven to 180°C and line a 20cm square baking tin with parchment. In a large bowl, whisk together the semolina, whole wheat flour and baking powder, then leave to sit while you mix the wet ingredients—this hydration keeps the crumb tender rather than sandy.
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2
In another bowl, whisk the eggs with 60g honey until pale and frothy, then whisk in the olive oil, Greek yogurt, vanilla, the zest of 2 oranges and 80ml of their juice. Fold the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined, scrape into the tin, and level the top.
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3
Bake until golden and set with a springy center and a skewer coming out clean, about 35–40 minutes. Meanwhile, make the syrup: gently simmer the juice of the remaining orange with 50g honey, a strip of its peel and the cinnamon stick for 4–5 minutes until slightly thickened.
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4
As soon as the cake comes out, discard the cinnamon and peel and spoon the warm syrup evenly over the hot cake, letting it soak in fully. Cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes so the crumb firms up, then cut into 12 pieces and finish with a little extra zest.