This cake is usually made for Baptisms and weddings, birthdays and Christmas. Each persons cake may differ slightly according to their own tastes and family traditions, but essentially the same delicious treat. It is a very rich cake and has little or no flour and lots of butter, eggs and almonds.
450g butter, softened at room temperature
250g semolina (sugee)
250g caster sugar
8 egg yolks
4 egg whites
125g plain flour
1/8 teaspoon salt (fine grains)
60g ground almonds
65g almonds, toasted and chopped finely
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons brandy or rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Soak the almonds in hot water for an hour and then remove the brown skin. Dry by rubbing them in a tea towel. Toast them in the oven for a few minutes. Cool and grind or chop them coarsely, (like granulated sugar grains).
Toast the semolina in a dry pan over low heat for a few minutes until a light tan colour. Stir constantly. Take off heat and put in a bowl.
Melt the butter in a saucepan or in a bowl placed in the microwave. Do not totally let it get oily. Just partially melt and then let the residual heat soften the rest of the butter. Add to the semolina. Stir to combine butter and semolina and set aside covered for about 6 to 8 hours. (you may choose to do this the night before).
Separate the yolks and whites of 4 eggs.
Beat the egg whites in a clean and dry bowl until very frothy. Add 100g of the sugar and continue to beat to soft peaks. Set aside.
Use the other 4 eggs whole and add to the 4 egg yolks in another mixing bowl. Whisk the remaining 150g of caster sugar into the egg mixture until pale and increased in volume. This will take a few minutes as you want most of the sugar to be dissolved.
Add the semolina/butter mixture into the beaten egg mixture and whisk to mix well. Then using a wooden spoon, stir in vanilla extract and the brandy.
Heat oven to 170 C.
Grease and dust with flour a 9 inch square tin.
Sieve flour, salt and baking powder and fold in these ingredients with the almonds. Lastly, fold in the beaten egg whites. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly until well combined.
Transfer to the cake tin. Bake at a temperature of 170°C in a preheated oven for 50 minutes. Reduce heat to 160 °C. Bake for another 10 minutes.
You may need to tent the cake with a sheet of aluminum foil after 45 minutes so the top of the cake does not get too dark in colour due to the long baking time.
Let cake cool down in the tin for half an hour. Cake should be cooled completely before covering with royal icing. You could also choose a thin icing.
Thin Icing
300g to 350g icing sugar
50ml to 60ml lemon juice or milk
Sieve the icing sugar in a bowl to remove the lumps. Add the 50ml milk or lemon juice.
Mix very well for a minute. If needing more liquid then add a little by half teaspoon or 1 teaspoon at a time and mix until the right consistency is acquired.
Spread onto the top of the cake. Leave it to set.
Note: You can easily half this recipe to make a smaller cake. Use a 6 inch diameter cake tin
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