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easy orange cake recipe dessert winter
Photo credit Chaya Rappoport

Blood Orange, Saffron and Semolina Cake

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Celebrate citrus with this zesty take on an upside down cake.

  • Total Time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 12

Ingredients

Units
  • cup raw or turbinado sugar
  • 2 blood oranges, very thinly sliced, seeds removed
  • 1 ½ cups semolina flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp finely grated blood orange zest
  • 1 pinch saffron threads
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk
  • 1 Tbsp orange blossom water
  • 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Instructions

  1. First, make the infused sugar: Combine the blood orange zest and saffron threads with the granulated sugar and use your hands to rub the zest and saffron into the sugar until it is fragrant and slightly colored by the zest and saffron. Set aside until needed.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch round cake pan. Dust the turbinado sugar over the bottom of the greased pan. Arrange the orange slices in circles over the sugar, pressing them closely together.
  3. Make the cake batter: Whisk flour, infused sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
  4. Add eggs, buttermilk, orange blossom water and butter; mix until no dry spots remain (a few lumps are okay; do not overmix).
  5. Pour batter over oranges in pan and bake until top is golden brown and cake pulls away from sides of pan, 35–40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 5 minutes before inverting and turning out onto a rack or a large plate.
  6. Serve slices with labneh and saffron honey.

Notes

You may keep the rind of the orange on, as pictured, or remove it. Regular oranges can be substituted for the blood oranges.

  • Author: Chaya Rappoport
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American