Orange Blossom Semolina Cake (Namoura)
A traditional Middle Eastern semolina cake soaked in orange blossom syrup. Dense, fragrant, and dangerously easy to eat.
Desserts · Prep 15 min · Cook 30 min · Serves 16 · Easy · By Tina · Published
Ingredients
- 300 g semolina, fine
- 150 g sugar, for cake
- 200 g Greek yogurt
- 100 g butter, melted
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp tahini, for greasing pan
- 16 blanched almonds, for decoration
- 200 g sugar, for syrup
- 200 ml water, for syrup
- 1 tsp lemon juice, for syrup
- 1 tbsp orange blossom water
My grandmother made this cake every Friday and the smell of orange blossom still takes me straight back to her kitchen. Namoura is not fancy — it is a simple semolina cake soaked in syrup — but it is one of the most satisfying things you can bake.
The cake itself is dense and slightly gritty from the semolina, which is a good thing — it absorbs the syrup without falling apart. And the syrup, scented with orange blossom water, gives it this floral sweetness that is completely addictive.
Every family has their version. This is mine, and I am very protective of it.
Pro Tips
- Make the syrup FIRST and let it cool. Hot syrup on hot cake = soggy disaster. You want cold syrup on hot cake.
- Let the batter rest for 30 minutes before baking. The semolina absorbs the moisture and the texture improves.
- Score the cake into diamonds BEFORE baking. Press an almond into each piece.
- Pour the cold syrup over the cake the MOMENT it comes out of the oven. It absorbs best while hot.
Serving
Serve at room temperature with a small cup of Arabic coffee or mint tea. These keep for days in an airtight container and actually improve on day two.
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