I’ve made a number of cakes similar to this one, especially cakes that include both cornmeal and olive oil and are citrus flavored, but this particular cake is sure to become one of my all-time favorites. I used both a finely ground semolina flour along with some coarsely ground corn flour and regular all-purpose flour, and then I flavored the cake with some Sicilian lemons and fresh rosemary from my garden.
What really sets this cake apart is the addition of yogurt which helps create a very moist cake. I also used a little flavoring called Sicilian flowersone of my favorite extracts that I buy from King Arthurs Flour.
Instead of the Fiori di Sicilia you could use half a teaspoon of vanilla and half a teaspoon of lemon extract. Don’t worry about adding rosemary into the cake, as it simply adds a subtle depth of flavor and you won’t taste the “rosemary” flavor at all.
I love cakes like this because they are so versatile. I can serve this sliced cake on its own for breakfast with a nice cup of cappuccino, or I can serve it as a dessert after dinner with some poached fruit on top and a dollop of sweetened mascarpone.
While I love the combination of lemon and rosemary, you could use thyme or lavender in place of the rosemary, or even swap the lemon juice and zest for the orange. Although my cake is simple, you can also drizzle the top of the cake with a lemon glaze.
Enjoy your meal!
Debora Mele
Ingredients
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1 cup semolina flour
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2 cups all-purpose flour
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1/2 cup coarsely ground cornmeal
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2 teaspoons baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon baking soda
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1 teaspoon of salt
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2 cups of sugar
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Zest of two large lemons
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1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
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1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
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1 cup olive oil
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4 large eggs
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1 teaspoon of Sicilian flowers (or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extracts)
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1 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and lightly flour a 12-inch baking pan.
- Place the three flours, the baking powder, the bicarbonate of soda and the salt in a bowl.
- In another bowl, mix together the sugar, lemon zest and rosemary and stir to combine.
- Using a hand mixer, add the oil to the sugar and mix on medium speed.
- Add the eggs one at a time, then the lemon extract and juice and beat until well combined.
- Add half the flour mixture to the eggs, then half the yoghurt and beat until smooth, then add the rest of the flour and yoghurt mixture and mix until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the Bundt pan and spread it evenly with the back of a spoon, then bake for about 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool the cake for 10 minutes, then carefully run a knife around the pan and invert onto a plate.
- Cool to room temperature before slicing.
