Orange Flavored Semolina Cake - ButterCream Frosting and Chocolate Shards(Pressure Cooker Method)

 

This is an easy and elegant cake. I made it on my husband b'day as a surprise cake and I was pleased to know that he liked it. Cake turned out to be very delicious. 

I baked it in pressure cooker, alternatively can be baked in oven at 350F for 35-40 minutes until tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Easily double the ingredient for making bigger cake.

Prep Time: 15 minutes 

Cook Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients: 


1/2 cup semolina
1/4 cup all purpose flour


1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup butter(room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp orange zest
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup walnut(finely chopped)
1/4 cup tuti fruti
salt to taste

Method:

1. Butter a 5" diameter cooker tin or any aluminium pot that fits inside cooker or line with parchment paper. 


2. In a small saucepan, mix together 1/4 cup sugar, water and orange zest. Bring mixture to a simmer over a medium-high heat; cooking until the sugar has dissolved, about 3-5 minutes. Set syrup aside to cool.

3. Whisk/mix together all purpose flours, semolina, walnut, tutu fruti, baking powder, soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. 


4. In a separate bowl, beat butter and remaining sugar(1/4 cup) with an hand mixture until light and creamy. Add orange juice, milk and beat well.  


5. Add flour semolina mixture in batches to orange milk mixture. Mix well with rubber spatula or beat in using hand mixture on low speed.





6. Remove whistle from pressure cooker lid, close the lid and heat pressure cooker for 2 minutes. Do not add water.


7. Just before pouring batter in tin add lemon juice, mix well. Now, pour batter into prepared cake container. Tap on kitchen counter to escape air bubble. 


8. Put cake tin pressure cooker. Keep heat on high for 2 minutes, after reduce heat to medium low and slowly cook for 35 minutes.(Do not add water and whistle)


9. Do not open lid for at lease 5 minutes. Invert cake on cooling rack and let it cool completely. 


10. Serve as it is or decorate with frosting(recipe below). 


Note:
1. Alternatively this cake can be baked in oven at 350F for 35-40 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
2. If want to make cake more moist then increase the quantity of milk(by 1/4 cup). If you love the cake texture bit similar to brownie then decrease the quantity of milk(by 1/4 cup).

Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Total time: 5 mins
Serves: 2.5 cups


Classic American Buttercream frosting. This recipe uses powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and milk. This is a great recipe for decorating and piping on cupcakes and cake.


Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3-4 cups confectioners(powdered) sugar, SIFTED
1 tbsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp milk or heavy cream
salt to taste


Method:


1. Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer with hand mixture.


2. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest speed until the sugar has been incorporated with the butter. 


3. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 2 tbsp of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. 


4. If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk 1 tbsp at a time.

                       

* See here for making simple Chocolate Shards method.