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    Home » Recipes » Small Cakes

    Published: Sep 28, 2018 · Modified: Oct 3, 2020 by Sylvie · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Mini Blood Orange Semolina Cakes

    Jump to Recipe

    I find Blood Oranges to be absolutely beautiful fruits. I love their deep, dark red colour and tangy flavour. I also love semolina cakes. Their lightness mixed with their crunchiness. And if you mix all of these elements, this is what you get: beautiful Mini Semolina Blood Orange Cakes with Blood Orange Syrup.

    One cake on a pink plate with blood orange juice poured over.

    Why we love this recipe

    Blood Oranges have relatively hard to find in Melbourne, so when I saw some in one of my local shop, I knew I had to jump on the opportunity.

    I had been wanting to make an Orange Semolina Cake for a while so I thought these Blood Oranges would be perfect for this recipe! And it did turn out  absolutely delicious, and I must admit... quite beautiful as well!

    Blood Oranges are the perfect fruit to create an easy yet impressive (should I say dramatic!?) dessert, just like my Upside-Down Blood Orange Cake!

    Small cakes on a black cooling rack from above on a dark grey surface.

    Blood Orange Semolina Cakes

    I tried a few variation of this cake. The first one I made was a large blood orange upside-down semolina cake. It was all gone within 20 minutes - I knew I was on to something!

    So I got back into the kitchen and tried a mini version of that first upside-down cake. They turned out a little bit more dense than the large version so I opted for a 3d and final recipe - this one!

    These Mini Blood Orange Semolina Cakes are adapted from a recipe I found in Yotam Ottolenghi 'Sweet' cook book. The original recipe is for a 'Orange Semolina Syrup Cake', so I changed the recipe a bit by making mini version of it with Blood Oranges.

    I am sure most of you have heard of Yotam Ottolenghi - he is so popular right now! He is mostly famous for his savoury Middle Eastern recipes and his cook books "Jerusalem" and "Plenty", but he has also published a pastry book filled with yummy Middle Eastern flavoured sweets.

    One cake on a white and pink plate over a dark blue napkin.

    For my recipe, I reduced the amount of sugar that Ottolenghi uses and increased the quantity of Blood Orange juice. If you often read my recipes, you know that I am all for reducing the amount of sugar used in baking.

    Cakes really don't require a ridiculous amount of sugar to be delicious, especially when they are soaked in a sweet syrup. You can read my 3 tips to bake with less sugar if it's a topic that interests you!

    One thing that I love with this recipe is that it doesn't require Plain Flour. Instead, it uses Fine Semolina and Almond Meal. Semolina is made out of Durum Wheat and brings a really delicious subtle crunchy texture to cakes.

    Although usually used mainly for savoury recipes like Fresh Pasta and Pizza, Semolina can really be great to bring texture to a dessert. Almond Meal is one of my favourite ingredient and is the best way I know to ensure a super light and moist cake. The combination of both is just perfect!

    Close up on the blood orange topping one small cake.

    The second thing I love with this recipe is how simple it is, but how impressive it looks. Everybody loves a good upside-down cake, right!? I love them too!

    Like I explained in my Blackberry Upside-Down Cake recipe, these type of cakes are so great because they not only look great, they are also super quick to make. No need for fancy garnishes and toppings - the caramelised fruits at the bottom of your molds will do the trick!

    The same principle applies for these Mini Blood Orange Semolina Cakes. Place a thin slice of Blood Orange at the bottom of your mini cake molds, cover it with the cake batter and simply flip them when baked. The bright red colour of the slightly caramelised Blood Oranges is irresistible!

    To make those cakes, I used Flower Shaped Silicone Mini Cake Molds I brought back from Europe. It created a super cute cake shape that is perfect for the Blood Orange Syrup drip effect! Alternatively, you can use Mini Tartlet Molds but when it comes to cakes that will be flipped, I usually prefer to use silicone.

    Pouring the blood orange syurp with a sliver spoon over one cake.

    For More Orange Desserts Inspiration, check out my 25 Delicious Orange Dessert Recipes!

    Made this recipe?
    Let us know if you liked it by leaving a comment below, and tag us on Instagram @a.baking.journey with a photo of your creation!

    Recipe

    Blood Orange Semolina Cakes

    Mini Blood Orange Semolina Cakes

    Those deliciously indulgent Mini Blood Orange Semolina Cake with a tangy Blood Orange Syrup are the perfect little sweet treat and afternoon tea snack!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 Mini Cakes
    Calories: 264kcal
    Author: A Baking Journey
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    Ingredients

    Blood Orange Semolina Cakes

    • 120 gr Butter at room temperature
    • 50 gr Sugar
    • 1 Blood Orange Juice + zest
    • 100 gr Ground Almond
    • 2 Eggs, beaten
    • 70 gr Fine Semolina
    • 1 tbsp Baking Powder
    • 1 pinch Salt
    • 1 Blood Oranges - slices

    Blood Orange Syrup

    • 1 Blood Orange Juice (about 100 ml)
    • 1/2 Lemon Juice
    • 1 1/2 tbsp Sugar

    Disclaimer

    I highly recommend using the measurements in grams & ml (instead of cups & spoons) for more accuracy and better results.

    Instructions

    • Cream the Butter and Sugar until it forms a thick paste. Make sure the butter isn't melting. 
    • Add the Blood Orange Zest and Almond Meal. Quickly whisk, then gradually add the beaten Eggs.
    • Stir in the Fine Semolina, Baking Powder and pinch of Salt, then pour in the juice of 1 blood orange.
    • Thinly slice the second Blood Orange and place the slices at the bottom of your individual molds. Cover with the Cake batter and bake at 180'C for 15 to 20 minutes. 
    • In the meantime, prepare the Blood Orange Syrup. Mix the Blood Orange and Lemon Juice with the sugar in a small pot on medium heat until all dissolved. Let it gently reduce into a thicker consistency, then set aside to cool.
    • When the cakes are baked, remove them from the oven and poke them with a skewer. Pour half of the Blood Orange Syrup over them and let them completely cool down before flipping them. Pour the rest of the syrup on them when flipped.

    Tried this recipe? Make sure to leave a comment and star rating below!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 276mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 457IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe?Leave a comment + star rating below and tag us @a.baking.journey on Instagram with a photo of your creation!


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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Nat says

      May 24, 2021 at 10:05 am

      Hi would I be able to omit the almond here? Cooking with a nut allergy.
      Would regular flour work or oat flour?

      Reply
      • A Baking Journey says

        May 24, 2021 at 12:50 pm

        Hi Nat, yes you could replace the almond meal with regular AP Flour, it will just slightly change the texture as the almond meal brings a lot of moisture.

        Reply
    2. LaRena’s Corner says

      October 02, 2018 at 5:34 am

      What an imaginative recipe. Sounds delicious.

      Reply
      • thefoodiejourney says

        October 02, 2018 at 9:22 am

        Blood Oranges work so well with those Semolina Cakes! Thank you for your comment 🙂

        Reply
        • LaRena’s Corner says

          October 02, 2018 at 10:28 am

          Anytime. Have an terrific day/night!

          Reply
          • thefoodiejourney says

            October 02, 2018 at 11:15 am

            You too!

            Reply
    3. Caitlyn Erhardt says

      October 02, 2018 at 12:33 am

      This recipe looks amazing! I love the flavor combo!

      Reply
      • thefoodiejourney says

        October 02, 2018 at 9:20 am

        Thanks Caitlyn, I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe! I love the flavour combo too 🙂

        Reply
    4. greenapplebeautynyc says

      October 01, 2018 at 11:52 pm

      These look SCRUMPTIOUS!

      Reply
      • thefoodiejourney says

        October 02, 2018 at 9:20 am

        Thank you Jessica, they are sooo delicious 🙂

        Reply
    5. Amber says

      September 30, 2018 at 9:32 pm

      These look delicious! Love that its not a heavy dessert

      Reply
      • thefoodiejourney says

        October 01, 2018 at 9:53 am

        Thank you Amber! They are definitely the little sweet touch you need without being too heavy 🙂

        Reply
    6. chryssiusghio says

      September 30, 2018 at 7:25 pm

      These sound divine! Definitely saving this to recipe to try later ??

      Reply
      • thefoodiejourney says

        October 01, 2018 at 9:53 am

        Thank you! I soooo love these little cakes and I hope you will too 🙂

        Reply

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    Bonjour! I'm Sylvie, a French Belgian expat living in Melbourne, Australia. I love sharing my passion for French Pastry and empowering all home bakers through easy to follow recipes.
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