Chef Sandford D'Amato
Sandford
Green Bay Packers

Lemon Semolina Cake
Lemon Cream:
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
Lemon Semolina Cake:
2 1/2 cups fine semolina (see Note)
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Grated zest of 2 lemons, plus some for garnish
Lemon Syrup:
2 cups sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon


Make the Lemon Cream:
In a medium bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream with the sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in the sour cream and lemon zest. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Whisk lightly before serving.
Make the Lemon Semolina Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch
baking pan.
In a large bowl, combine the semolina, cardamom, baking powder, salt, butter, and sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt and baking soda and set aside for 15 minutes, then add the vanilla and lemon zest. Add the yogurt to the semolina mixture. Transfer the batter to the baking dish, smoothing with a rubber spatula to evenly distribute. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until lightly browned and a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the cake. Remove to a wire rack.
Make the Lemon Syrup:
While the cake is baking, in a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, 2 cups water, and the lemon zest and juice over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil without stirring, washing down any sugar crystals from the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until the mixture is a runny, thin syrup consistency, about 10 minutes.
Finish the Cake:
While the cake is still warm, with a very sharp knife, cut into squares directly in the pan, then cut each square in half diagonally to form triangles. Pour the warm syrup over the cake, ideally while the cake is still hot so it absorbs the syrup completely.
Arrange 2 triangles of cake on dessert plates. Top with some lemon cream, garnish with lemon zest, and serve.
Note: Semolina, a coarse grind of wheat, is widely used in Middle Eastern and Indian cakes and puddings and can be found in international markets.