Orange Semolina Cake

Ingredients

• For syrup:
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom water
• 3/4 cup water
• For cake:
• 2 navel oranges, scrubbed
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 5 large eggs
• 2 cups semolina
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup almonds, chopped
• 1/2 sliced almonds

Directions

1. Add water to a medium pot until it is halfway full. Put in the oranges and boil them until they are tender, about 1 hour. Drain, then set them aside to cool.
2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9 1/2 inch cake pan.
3. For the syrup, add the sugar, lemon juice, orange blossom water, and water to a small saucepan. Set it over medium heat and stir continuously until the sugar has dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 6 minutes. Set aside to cool.
4. For the cake, cut the oranges into quarters and discard the seeds, leaving the peel on. Transfer the oranges to a food processor and pulse until they become a smooth pulp.
5. In a large bowl, mix the orange pulp with the oil, sugar, and eggs. Use an electric mixer to beat everything until the mixture is smooth.
6. In a small bowl, whisk the semolina, baking powder, and almonds together. Stir the dry mixture into the orange mixture.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the slivered almonds over the top. Bake until a tester inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
8. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then pour the syrup over the top.