Easy Café-Style Orange Semolina Cake (Aroma-Inspired)

Some cakes are memorable not for being flashy, but for getting everything right. This orange semolina cake is one of those — seen in cafés, sliced tall and glossy, perfect with coffee.

Inspired by the Aroma café's cake, this version is moist yet not syrupy, airy but not sponge-like, and rich in orange flavor with real juice and zest. Fine semolina provides structure, whipped egg whites add lift, and a gentle orange soak keeps it tender. It's simple, improves with rest, and is ideal for make-ahead baking or entertaining.

This easy, dairy-free cake feels special and is both approachable and café-worthy.

I'm so glad you're here! If you enjoy what I'm doing, support me by clicking the product links in the recipe ingredients and my favorites. I earn a small commission every time someone buys through there (at no extra cost to you). It helps keep this site ad-free!

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Recipe

Servings: 10 slices

Calories per serving: ~320

Total time: ~1 hour 15 minutes (20 minutes active, 55 minutes inactive)

Easy Café-Style Orange Semolina Cake (Aroma-Inspired)

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1¼ cups fine semolina

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup sugar, divided (¾ cup + ¼ cup)

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• Zest of 2 large oranges

• 1 cup fresh orange juice

• ⅔ cup neutral oil (such as avocado or light olive oil)

• 4 large eggs, separated

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the light orange syrup

• ½ cup fresh orange juice

• ¼ cup sugar

Instructions (Jump to photos of process)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the bottom of an 8–9 inch springform pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides.

2. In a large bowl, combine ¾ cup of the sugar with the orange zest. Rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is fragrant and slightly damp — this step builds the orange flavor.

3. Whisk in the egg yolks, oil, orange juice, and vanilla until smooth.

4. Add the semolina, flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk just until combined, then let the batter rest for 10–15 minutes so the semolina can fully hydrate.

5. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with the remaining ¼ cup sugar until medium peaks form. The whites should be glossy and hold their shape, but the tips should gently bend over — not stiff.

6. Fold the egg whites into the rested batter in three additions, using slow, gentle strokes and stopping as soon as no white streaks remain.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 38–40 minutes, until lightly golden and the center springs back slowly when pressed. A toothpick should come out with moist crumbs, not clean.

8. Turn the oven off, crack the door slightly, and let the cake sit inside for 5 minutes before removing.

9. While the cake bakes, gently heat the orange juice and sugar for the syrup just until the sugar dissolves. Do not reduce.

10. While the cake is still hot, poke holes all over the surface with a skewer and slowly spoon the warm syrup over the top, pausing between pours to let it absorb. The surface should look faintly glossy, not wet.

11. Let the cake cool completely in the pan before releasing and slicing.

Nutritional Value (Per Serving, Approximate)

• Calories: ~320 kcal

• Carbohydrates: ~45 g

• Protein: ~6 g

• Fat: ~14 g

• Fiber: ~2 g

Key micronutrients

• Vitamin C: from fresh orange juice and zest, supporting immune health

• Iron: from semolina and eggs

• B vitamins: from semolina and eggs, supporting energy metabolism

This cake is naturally dairy-free and uses real citrus for flavor rather than extracts, making it a balanced option for everyday baking rather than an overly rich dessert.

Storage Instructions

• Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days.

• Refrigerate for up to 5 days; the cake stays soft even when cold.

• For longer storage, wrap individual slices tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature.

Jump to photos of process

My favorites (if you want to support me)

Glass Loaf Pan with Lids	9 Inch Springform Cake Pan, Stainless Steel	Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
MOLINO GRASSI Organic Italian Semolina Flour	Good Grips Large Adjustable Handheld Mandoline Slicer	Hasense Mixing Bowls, Large Ceramic Salad Bowls

Photos of process

Prep pan and oven

Infuse sugar with zest

Infuse sugar with zest

Mix wets

Mix wets

Add dries

Mix well

Let batter rest

Whip egg whites

Whip egg whites

Whip egg whites

Gently fold egg whites into batter

Gently fold egg whites into batter

Gently fold egg whites into batter

Gently fold egg whites into batter

Gently fold egg whites into batter

Transfer to pan

Bake

Prep syrup

Prep syrup

Take cake out of oven

Apply syrup

Let rest

Remove parchment to make it look nicer :-)

Cool completely

Slice and enjoy

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Prompt

Here's how I used ChatGPT to recreate this "Easy Café-Style Orange Semolina Cake (Aroma-Inspired)" recipe. Pardon my laziness this time, no commentary to the prompt provided this time:

Me:

There an amazing orange cake with semolina that I made once. Inspired by aroma coffee shop in Israel. Can you help me try and recreate the recipe? Think for very long.

ChatGPT:

Ohhh yes, I know exactly the cake you’re talking about. Aroma-core memory unlocked 😄That orange–semolina cake lives in a very specific lane: not fluffy like a sponge, not heavy like basbousa—moist, tight crumb, deeply orange, slightly glossy, and better the next day.

Let’s slow this way down and reverse-engineer it properly.

First: what that cake is (and what it’s not)

This is not:

• a classic basbousa drowned in syrup

• a light citrus loaf

• an almond flour cake

It is:

• semolina-based (so texture > rise)

• oil or butter-forward (Aroma usually uses oil)

• heavily orange-driven (juice + zest, possibly whole orange)

• lightly soaked or self-syruping

• sliceable, café-style, holds its shape for days

Think Mediterranean café cake, not home-baked dessert.

Key texture decisions (this matters more than ingredients)

1. Semolina type

Aroma uses fine semolina (סולת דקה) — not coarse.If you use coarse semolina, the crumb will scream “basbousa.” Fine semolina gives that almost-cake feel.

👉 If all you have is coarse: you can pulse it briefly in a food processor.

2. Fat choice

Almost certainly neutral oil, not butter.

Why?

• Butter firms up when cold (this cake doesn’t)

• Oil keeps it moist for days

• Israeli café baking leans oil-heavy for shelf life

Likely canola or sunflower oil.

3. Orange flavor strategy

This is where most recreations fail.

Aroma-style orange cake usually layers orange flavor in 3 ways:

1. Fresh orange juice

2. A lot of zest

3. Either:

   • a light orange syrup after baking, or

   • sugar dissolved directly into the juice (quasi-syrup baked in)

Not orange extract. Not artificial.

Possibly even boiled orange vibes—but I think Aroma keeps it simpler.

4. Sweetness level

This cake is:

• sweet, but not cloying

• designed to be eaten with coffee

So: less sugar in the batter, then moisture from citrus.

My best reconstruction (Version 1: Café-accurate)

This is the version I’d bet money on.

Orange Semolina Cake (Aroma-Inspired)

Ingredients

• 1½ cups fine semolina

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 tbsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp salt

• Zest of 2 large oranges

• ¾ cup fresh orange juice (strained)

• ¾ cup neutral oil

• 3 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla

Method (this order matters)

1. Zest into the sugarRub the orange zest into the sugar with your fingers until fragrant.This is non-negotiable.

2. Add wet ingredientsWhisk in:

   • oil

   • eggs

   • orange juice

   • vanilla

3. Add dry ingredientsWhisk in semolina, flour, baking powder, salt.

4. Rest the batter – 15 minutesThis lets the semolina hydrate.Skip this and the texture won’t be right.

5. Bake

   • Pan: lined loaf or square pan

   • Temp: 350°F / 175°C

   • Time: 40–50 minutesDeep golden top, toothpick with moist crumbs.

The Aroma “finish” (this is the secret)

While the cake bakes, make a light orange soak:

• ½ cup fresh orange juice

• ¼ cup sugar

Heat just until sugar dissolves. Do not reduce.

When the cake comes out:

• poke holes with a skewer

• pour the warm syrup slowly over the hot cake

Let it absorb fully.

No shine? Add 1–2 tbsp honey to the syrup next time.

How this should eat (use this to judge accuracy)

If you nailed it:

• Day 1: tender, fragrant, slightly crumbly edges

• Day 2: better

• Cold from the fridge? Still soft

• Cuts clean slices

• No frosting, no garnish needed

If it feels dry → not enough soak or oilIf it feels gummy → too much semolina or not baked enoughIf it tastes flat → not enough zest

Variations Aroma might use (optional tweaks)

If you want to experiment later:

• Replace ¼ cup flour with fine almond flour

• Add 1 tbsp orange blossom water to the syrup (very subtle)

• Sprinkle coarse sugar on top before baking for café crunch

Before I refine this further, I want one memory check from you (important, not busywork):

• Was the cake glossy on top or matte?

• More loaf-style or tray-bake squares?

• Any bitterness (from peel) or purely bright orange?

Your answers will let me lock this in from “very close” to uncannily accurate.

Me:

Your suggestions all sound great and I can't wait to try. The only things I'm a bit worried about- I used a round cake pan with spring side you can remove which means all quantities should be adjusted. 2) I seem to recall egg separation but maybe I was wrong 3) it was actually a little tall and slightly airy but that may also have to do with quantities 4) Israel has semolina in every grocery store. Here in the US I could not find many variations. I got organic molino grassi (from Italy). I don't know if that is coarse or fine.

ChatGPT:

This is excellent memory detail — and honestly, it nudges this from “Mediterranean semolina loaf” into Aroma’s slightly-lifted café cake, which is a real thing. Let’s go point by point and tighten the reconstruction instead of hand-waving it away.

1) Round springform + height → YES, that explains a lot

Aroma almost always bakes this as a round, tall cake, not a loaf. That alone changes perception:

• more vertical rise

• slightly airier crumb

• less syrup pooling

Correct pan + scale

Use:

• 9-inch (23 cm) springform, or

• 8-inch if you want it noticeably tall

The base recipe I gave fits:

• 9-inch: medium height

• 8-inch: tall café-style (closer to memory)

👉 No need to reduce quantities unless you’re using 10-inch.

2) Egg separation — you’re probably NOT misremembering

This is the biggest clue you gave.

If it felt lighter than basbousa but not fluffy like sponge, that screams:

whipped egg whites folded in

Israeli café bakers do this a lot to lighten heavy batters (semolina, almond, olive oil cakes).

So yes — I now think:Eggs were separated.

That explains:

• extra height

• airy but structured crumb

• still moist and sliceable

3) Let’s adjust the recipe to match that memory

Aroma-Style Orange Semolina Cake (Refined Version)

Pan

• 8–9 inch springform, lined bottom, greased sides

Ingredients

• 1¼ cups fine semolina

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup sugar (divided: ¾ + ¼)

• 1 tbsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp salt

• Zest of 2 oranges

• ¾ cup fresh orange juice

• ½ cup neutral oil

• 4 eggs, separated

• 1 tsp vanilla

Method (important order)

1. Prep

   • Oven: 350°F / 175°C

   • Pan ready

2. Zest into ¾ cup sugarRub until deeply fragrant.

3. Egg yolk baseWhisk into the sugar:

   • yolks

   • oil

   • orange juice

   • vanilla

4. Dry ingredientsWhisk in:

   • semolina

   • flour

   • baking powder

   • salt

   Rest batter 10–15 minutes.

5. Whip egg whites

   • Whites + remaining ¼ cup sugar

   • Medium peaks (not stiff)

6. Fold

   • Fold whites into batter in 3 additions

   • Gentle, deliberate

7. Bake

   • 40–50 minutes

   • Top should dome slightly and spring back

4) Light syrup (still yes, but lighter than before)

Because this version is airier, you want less soak.

Syrup

• ⅓ cup orange juice

• 2–3 tbsp sugar

Heat just to dissolve.

Brush or spoon over hot cake, lightly.

5) Your semolina (this matters — good instinct)

Molino Grassi organic semolina→ This is Italian rimacinata-style semolina, which is:

• finer than standard US semolina

• coarser than flour

• EXCELLENT for this cake

You lucked out.

How to check at home

Rub between fingers:

• gritty like sand → too coarse

• silky like flour → too fine

• slightly granular but soft → perfect

If it feels just a bit coarse:

• replace 2 tbsp semolina with flour(classic Israeli workaround)

How to know you nailed that cake

You’ll see:

• a tall, even crumb

• faint gloss from syrup

• clean slices

• orange aroma hits before sweetness

If you want, next iteration we can:

• dial in exact crumb density

• decide whether Aroma uses orange blossom water

• or test boiled-orange vs juice-only

But honestly?Based on your memories — this version is the one I’d start with.

Me:

Made it. Flavor was perfect, but it was a little dry. Not sure if I overbaked or if it needed some more oil or orange juice. It was baked 45 mins.

ChatGPT:

Perfect flavor but dry = we’re 90% there. This is a classic semolina + whipped whites edge case, not a failure. Let’s diagnose cleanly and fix it precisely, not by guessing.

Most likely causes (ranked)

1️⃣ Overbaked by ~5–8 minutes

With semolina cakes, 45 minutes is already the danger zone in a springform.

Key detail:👉 Semolina keeps absorbing moisture after baking.So a cake that looks “done” at 45 min often eats dry a few hours later.

What should have happened

• Pull at 38–40 minutes

• Toothpick should have moist crumbs, not clean

• Center should spring back slowly

If it domed and felt firm → slightly over.

2️⃣ Egg whites + too little fat

We lightened the cake (good!) but didn’t quite compensate with moisture.

Your current fat + liquid load is on the lean side for:

• fine semolina

• US ovens (run hotter/drier)

• tall round pan

This combo will always lean dry unless adjusted.

3️⃣ Syrup amount was too conservative

Because the flavor was perfect, I suspect:

• syrup absorbed fully but didn’t linger

• cake needed just a bit more post-bake moisture

Aroma cakes are sneaky — they look dry on top but eat moist inside.

The fix (do not change everything)

For your next bake, change only these three things:

✅ Adjustment #1: Pull earlier

Bake 38–40 minutes, max.

If unsure:

• Turn oven off

• Crack door

• Leave cake inside 5 minutesThis sets the crumb without drying it.

✅ Adjustment #2: Add one moisture lever (pick one)

Option A (my top choice):

• Increase oil from ½ cup → ⅔ cup

This keeps crumb tender without making it heavy.

OR

Option B:

• Increase orange juice in batter by ¼ cup(total = 1 cup)

Oil is more forgiving than juice, which can tighten crumb if overdone.

✅ Adjustment #3: Slightly more syrup, applied smarter

New syrup:

• ½ cup orange juice

• ¼ cup sugar

Method:

• Cake hot

• Syrup warm

• Pour slowly, pause, pour again

• Stop when top looks faintly glossy, not soaked

If you’re nervous: reserve 2 tbsp and add later if needed.

One subtle but important check

When you folded the whites:

• Were they medium peaks or closer to stiff?

If stiff → they dry the crumbNext time: softer peaks, glossy, drooping tips.

What I would NOT change

• Semolina brand (yours is good)

• Egg separation (this is correct)

• Sugar level (flavor nailed = don’t touch)

• Orange zest quantity

Bottom line

You didn’t miss the recipe — you just baked a semolina café cake like a sponge, and semolina doesn’t forgive that.

Next round:

• pull earlier

• +2 tbsp oil (minimum)

• +2–3 tbsp more syrup

That will take it from “great but dry” to Aroma-counter perfect.If you want, next step we can tune it for day-2 perfection, which is where this cake really shines.

Me:

Peaks were perhaps a tad over but not stiff.  please rewrite the recipe with the updates. 

ChatGPT:

Amazing — that detail about the peaks helps. You were just on the dry side of perfect, so this rewrite is a surgical correction, not a new recipe.

Below is the locked-in version with only the updates that matter.

Aroma-Inspired Orange Semolina Cake

(Tall, moist, café-style — updated)

Pan

• 8–9 inch springform

• Line bottom, grease sides

Oven

• 350°F / 175°C

• Rack in the lower-middle position

Ingredients

Cake

• 1¼ cups fine semolina

• ¾ cup all-purpose flour

• 1 cup sugar, divided (¾ cup + ¼ cup)

• 1 tbsp baking powder

• ¼ tsp salt

• Zest of 2 large oranges

• 1 cup fresh orange juice (updated ⬆️)

• ⅔ cup neutral oil (updated ⬆️)

• 4 large eggs, separated

• 1 tsp vanilla

Light Orange Syrup (post-bake)

• ½ cup fresh orange juice

• ¼ cup sugar

Method

1. Prep

• Heat oven to 350°F / 175°C

• Prepare pan

2. Build the flavor base

In a large bowl:

• Add ¾ cup sugar + orange zest

• Rub together with fingers until deeply fragrant and slightly damp

Whisk in:

• Egg yolks

• Oil

• Orange juice

• Vanilla

3. Dry ingredients

Whisk in:

• Semolina

• Flour

• Baking powder

• Salt

Mix just until smooth.

⏱ Rest batter 10–15 minutes(This is essential for moisture.)

4. Egg whites

• Whip whites with remaining ¼ cup sugar

• Stop at medium peaks:

  • glossy

  • soft tips

  • peaks gently bend over❌ not stiff, ❌ not dry

5. Fold

• Fold whites into batter in 3 additions

• Gentle, slow strokes

• Stop as soon as no white streaks remain

6. Bake (this is critical)

• Pour into pan, smooth top

• Bake 38–40 minutes

Doneness cues (do NOT wait for all of them):

• Light golden top

• Slight dome

• Center springs back slowly

• Toothpick shows moist crumbs, not clean

➡️ Turn oven off, crack door, leave cake inside 5 minutes, then remove.

Syrup (do not skip)

While cake bakes:

• Heat juice + sugar just until sugar dissolves

• Keep warm

When cake comes out:

• Poke holes all over with skewer

• Slowly spoon syrup over hot cake

• Pause between pours

• Stop when surface looks faintly glossy, not wet

Let cool completely in pan.

Final texture check (this is your benchmark)

• Tall, even crumb

• Moist but not syrupy

• Clean slices

• Better on day 2

• Still soft when cold

If you store it covered overnight and it’s even better tomorrow, you nailed it.

One optional Aroma-adjacent tweak (only if you want)

Add 1 tsp orange blossom water to the syrup — max.Anything more and it stops tasting like Aroma.

If you want, next we can:

• tune it for bundt

• convert to dairy-free / olive oil

• or lock a freezer-friendly version for make-ahead baking

But honestly?This version is the one.

Me:

Just making sure.. both oil and orange juice should be increased?

ChatGPT:

Yes — both should be increased 👍And here’s why, so it doesn’t feel arbitrary.

Short answer

✔️ Oil → ⅔ cup✔️ Orange juice → 1 cup

Do not increase just one of them for this version.

Why both matter together

• Oil = long-term moisture + tenderness(prevents that “day-after dryness” semolina is famous for)

• Orange juice = hydration for the semolina itself(semolina literally keeps drinking liquid as it sits)

Because this cake is:

• semolina-heavy

• whipped-white lightened

• baked tall

…it needs both fat and water to stay moist and airy.

If you only increase juice → crumb can tightenIf you only increase oil → flavor density is right but center can still feel dry

Together, they balance each other.

If you’re ever unsure mid-bake

For future reference:

• Batter should be pourable but thick, not scoopable

• It should ribbon briefly when lifted, then disappear

If it’s thicker than that → semolina needed more liquid

One last reassurance

This isn’t turning it into a wet cake or basbousa.It’s bringing it into Israeli café moisture territory, which is exactly what you remembered.

You’re baking like 2 tweaks away from muscle memory now 😄

Scroll to the top or click below for the final recipe.

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