Ingredients
For the date filling:
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 lb pitted dates, chopped
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
For the cake:
- 2 cups (440 g) cream of wheat
- 1 cup (225 g) coarse semolina
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 cup (235 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (235 ml) orange juice
- grated zest from 1 orange
- ½ cup blanched whole almonds, for garnish
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, for garnish
For the syrup:
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) sugar, or ¾ cup (150 g) sugar + ¾ cup (175 ml) honey
- juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ tsp saffron threads
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9- or 10-inch springform pan.
- To make the filling: Pulse the oil, dates, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves in a food processor with a steel blade until a thick paste has formed.
- To make the cake: In a medium bowl, mix together the cream of wheat, semolina, sugar, baking powder, vegetable oil, orange juice and orange zest to create a thick batter.
- Spread half the batter into the prepared pan, then top with the date filling, spreading the mixture with a spatula to the edges of the pan. Pour the remaining batter over the top, smooth the surface and score the top of the cake into 2-inch diamond shapes.
- Gently push one whole almond vertically into the center of each diamond, then scatter the sesame seeds over all. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until golden on the top.
- Fifteen minutes before the cake is done, make the syrup. In a small saucepan, bring the sugar, honey (if using), ½ cup (120 ml) of water, and lemon juice to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat, add the saffron and let steep for 5 minutes.
- Pour the warm syrup over the cake when it is done. Let stand for at least 6 hours or more, so the cake completely absorbs the syrup.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes + 6 hours soak time
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Sephardi