Almond and Semolina Sugee Cake

ALMOND AND SEMOLINA SUGEE CAKE

It wasn’t the easiest thing to make vegan, but I kept at it until I cracked it. Recipe by Sasha Gill

Cook Time 75 minutes | Serves 12 (plus overnight softening time)

Sugee cake and I have history: we go way back. Every birthday, wedding or celebration culminated in the slicing of one of these gloriously golden cakes. No one made this cake quite like my grandpa did – he was something of an expert, despite never following a formal recipe himself. This cake is usually laden with egg yolk (at least six) and butter, to be eaten in small slices. As you can imagine, it wasn’t the easiest thing to make vegan, but I kept at it until I cracked it. I figured I owed it to myself, as I never did get that eighteenth-birthday sugee cake…

Ingredients Method

½ cup (115g) vegan butter Cream the vegan butter in a large bowl to soften it, then mix in the semolina and 1½ cups (300g) fine semolina plant milk. Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge overnight to soften the semolina. 1 cup (250ml) plant milk ½ cup (75g) plain flour Next day, preheat the oven to 180°C, and grease and line an 18 cm round cake tin. 1 cup (130g) firmly packed icing sugar Take the bowl of semolina from the fridge and sift in the flour and icing sugar. Stir ½ cup (130g) vegan yoghurt, well, then add the yoghurt, baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla and almond or ½ cup (125ml) coconut milk extracts, agave syrup, brandy and cinnamon. 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda Mix until just combined, then fold in the almonds. Pour the batter into the tin and pinch of salt bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. ½ teaspoon vanilla extract ½ teaspoon almond extract Meanwhile, make the marzipan. In a food processor, blitz the ground almonds for 1 tablespoon agave syrup 30–60 seconds to make them a little finer – but don’t over-process or you’ll end up 1 tablespoon brandy with almond butter! Tip out into a large bowl and sift in the icing sugar. Drizzle in the ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon maple syrup, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon water, and the almond extract, if using. ¼ cup (40g) finely chopped almonds Knead until it starts to come together. Shape into a ball, then flatten into a disc – 2 tablespoons apricot jam, for brushing this will make it easier to roll it out later. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least an flaked almonds and whole pistachios, to garnish hour before using.

VEGAN MARZIPAN Let the cake cool completely before turning out of the tin. 1½ cups (150g) ground almonds 1 cup (110g) sifted icing sugar Roll out the marzipan into an 18 cm circle. Warm the apricot jam in a small pan (or 1 tablespoon maple syrup the microwave) and brush over the top of the cake. Lay the marzipan onto the cake, 1 teaspoon lemon juice then garnish with almonds and pistachios. ¼ teaspoon almond extract – optional

NOTE This cake is not too sweet, even with the apricot jam and marzipan, so it’s perfect for anyone without much of a sweet tooth. However, if you like your cakes a bit sweeter, add up to ¼ cup (30 g) more icing sugar and another tablespoon of plant milk.