The mothers I know say that the best gift on Mother’s Day is spending time with their children. I’d also suggest they would appreciate a homemade treat.
Enter this easy, super versatile butter cake, infused with vanilla and just the right amount of sugar. A hand mixer, measuring cups, and a springform pan are the only special equipment needed. Serve wedges of the cake with a light dusting of powdered sugar, or a scoop of ice cream, or a drizzle of caramel or chocolate syrup.
My dream version uses cake flour for a tender crumb and a little semolina flour for an interesting texture and flavor. Semolina flour, made from durum wheat, tends to be coarser and more golden in color than all-purpose flour. Durum wheat makes the best pastas and couscous because it is high in gluten, which helps pasta keep its shape. A slight, nutty aroma emanates from the bag when it is opened. Replacing some of the cake flour or all-purpose flour with semolina makes a cake that readily welcomes a vanilla syrup application, adding flavor and moisture.
For a fresh, simple presentation, fold finely chopped or coarsely pureed fresh mango into some whipped cream sweetened with confectioner’s sugar. Serve this mango cream alongside wedges of the cake.
Semolina Butter Cake With Whipped Vanilla Mascarpone, Fruit, and Crunchy Bits
You can substitute all-purpose flour and forgo the cake flour and semolina flour. The texture will be slightly denser.- 1 cup cake flour
- 1/2 cup fine semolina flour (or more cake flour)
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur or rum
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Whipped vanilla mascarpone (recipe follows)
- Pineapple-orange compote (recipe follows)
- Crumbled shortbread cookies, optional
- Fresh mint sprigs
Whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.
Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light. Gradually beat in sugar and continue beating until creamy, about 5 minutes. One at a time, beat in eggs, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Alternately beat in flour mixture and yogurt in three additions. Beat just until the flour is moistened. Do not overmix. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
Bake until the cake comes away from the sides of the pan and a pick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, for syrup, put sugar and water into a small saucepan. Boil over medium heat, covered, until sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in liqueur and vanilla.
Use a pastry brush to gently brush the warm syrup over the top of the warm cake, letting it slowly soak into the cake. Cool cake completely. Unmold the sides of the pan.
Whipped Vanilla Mascarpone
Makes about 1 1/3 cups- 1/2 cup whipping (heavy) cream
- 1/2 cup mascarpone
- 1 or 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
- 1 to 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Pineapple-Orange Compote
Makes 2 cups- 1 cup small diced fresh pineapple
- 1/2 cup diced orange or tangerine segments
- 1/2 cup blueberries or raspberries
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur
