Apple semolina cake
In Greek cuisine, there’s a pie for everything - veggies, fruit, meat, cheese, you name it. If it’s in season, you can turn it into a pie. The “pie” I’m referring to is either a pastry with filling inside or a cake - both are referred to as pie or end with the word “pita” (not to be confused with pita bread which is a flat bread).
Milopita, or apple cake, is usually made into a dense, moist cake, but the recipes vary according to the region or island. This semolina cake version is my own - it is a combination of two of my favourite cakes, the Cypriot Shiamali semolina cake and the Greek Milopita. The cake has a crumbly texture from the semolina, with hints of rosewater and cinnamon, topped with baked sweet red apple slices. If you enjoy these flavours, this cake will not disappoint.
Note:
The olive oil used in this recipe is a fruity extra virgin olive oil, which is a little lighter in colour and has a milder taste.
This is a dairy-free and egg-free recipe, made a little less sweet with coconut sugar. If you can’t find these ingredients, you can substitute with plain or Greek yoghurt, and use light brown sugar instead of coconut sugar.
Pears will work equally well in place of the apples.
apple semolina cake
Serves 8 - 10
2 cups semolina
1 cup coconut sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup coconut yoghurt (dairy-free)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup rose water
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Topping:
2 medium royal gala apples
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C / 350 degrees F. Grease a 20cm round loose base cake tin and line with a piece of round baking paper at the bottom.
Place the semolina, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl and whisk to combine.
Make a well in the centre and add the yoghurt, oil, rose water vanilla. Slowly mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until everything is just combined. The mixture should be looser than regular cake batter.
Peel and thinly slice the apples. Dust the bottom of the cake tin with 1 tablespoon of coconut sugar and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Layer the apple slices on top, packing them closely together or overlapping them. Pour the batter over the apple slices and bake in a preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until golden and a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before loosening the cake tin. Transfer onto a platter when the cake has completely cooled.