Quarantine day 10, it already feels like it's been a lifetime. For someone who grocery shops nearly everyday, this has been an adventure. I'm working on pulling things from the pantry, freezer, fridge and make the most of it. Many folks are having a hard time finding traditional flour but have other flours hanging around. That was the inspiration for this recipe.
Semolina and almond flour create this absolutely texture that is tender but also somewhat dense and filling. Semolina on it's own can yield a VERY dense cake, but adding almond flour (or hazelnut flour) helps to create a tender crumb. Since these aim to use what you have I have some options for modifications to make them easy as can be!
What you'll need
- Almond flour - I have tested this recipe with both almond flour, hazelnut flour and traditional flour with exceptional results each time
- Oil - any type of oil will work in this recipe from olive oil to canola oil
- Semolina - semolina is a flour made from durum wheat so this is NOT a gluten free recipe, it is actually quite high in gluten. If you are not able to use semolina, trying a whole wheat flour may be a good substitution but may not yield the exact same results.
- Orange zest - don't have an orange, feel free to use lemon or grapefruit
- Yogurt - sour cream or buttermilk can be subsituted for yogurt. Buttermilk can be simply made by adding a tablespoon of vinegar for every cup of traditional milk. In this case, adding ½ tablespoon then filling cup with milk to the ½ mark
- Sugar - I think sugar is your best option, I have played with adding less sugar with success if you'd like to reduce the amount.
- Eggs - flax eggs can be a great substitute if you don't have eggs on hand. 1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoon water, whisk, allow to sit in fridge for 15 minutes. That is equivalent to 1 egg. Double for this recipe.
- Orange Blossom Water - this is a very middle eastern flavor and plays well with the orange in the recipe but simply replacing with vanilla extract is ok
- Baking soda, baking powder, salt
The Basics
As you can see, these cupcakes are VERY forgiving! Ingredients can definitely be modified. If you try a different combination PLEASE leave a review below, it is super helpful to others trying these recipes.
As always, I love seeing your creations. Please leave a review or share your dish with me on social media. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. For more delicious recipes to your inbox, sign up for my newsletter! Check out my Instagram stories for step by step on making this soup!
xoxo,
Cosette
Other recipes you may enjoy:
Molasses Raisin Bran Muffins
Mini Banana Muffins
Orange Cranberry Scones
Irish Soda Bread
Almond Orange Semolina Cupcakes
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 muffins 1x
- Category: baked goods
- Method: muffins
- Cuisine: middle eastern
Description
These are the perfect breakfast muffin, hearty and filling but also light and airy. Great for an afternoon coffee snack too!
Ingredients
- ½ cup oil - any variety
- ½ cup yogurt - see substitutions above
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- zest of 1 orange - or lemon
- ¾ cup almond flour - see substitutions above
- ⅔ cup semolina flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp orange blossom water or vanilla
Glaze (optional)
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 teaspoon fresh orange (or lemon) more as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin tin with 8 liners or grease with cooking spray.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer or hand mixer, whisk together your oil, sugar, eggs, yogurt and orange zest for 2 minutes on high speed.
- Add in your flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and finally your orange blossom water.
- Pour your batter in prepared muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean and tops are slightly browned.
- Let cool for 5 minutes in tin then remove and place on cooling rack.
- Top with glaze (optional) and nuts.
Keywords: semolina cupcake recipe, semolina, alternate flour, almond cupcakes, orange cupcakes, orange, almond flour cupcakes, alternative flours for baking, best alternative flours
Jody says
Is the batter supposed to be quite runny? I poured it in my muffin liners. I just out them in the oven but I made a similar recipe yesterday that also had a runny batter and it turned out horribly (caved in centre despite being cooked and fell apart when i tried to remove from cupcake liners. Way too fragile). I hope this one turns out ok 🙏
Cosette's Kitchen says
Hi Jody,
Yes - the batter is a bit runny. Should be just fine! I hope they turned out okay for you, sorry for the delayed response.
xoxo,
Cosette