Moroccan · Dessert
Semolina and Honey Cake (Harcha-Style Sweet)
A dense, buttery semolina cake soaked in honey syrup and orange-blossom water — moist, golden and fragrant, in the family of Maghrebi semolina sweets. It keeps beautifully, the syrup sinking deeper each day, and a square with mint tea is a proper Moroccan afternoon.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- 8
- Level
- Medium
Ingredients
- 300 g fine semolina
- 100 g sugar
- 120 g butter, melted
- 200 ml milk or yogurt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- For the syrup: 150 g honey, 100 ml water, 1 tbsp orange-blossom water
- Blanched almonds, to decorate
Method
- 1
Mix the batter
Combine the semolina, sugar and baking powder, stir in the melted butter and milk, and rest 15 minutes so the semolina swells.
- 2
Bake
Spread into a greased tin, score into diamonds, press an almond into each and bake at 180°C for 30–35 minutes until golden.
- 3
Make the syrup
Simmer the honey and water 5 minutes, then stir in the orange-blossom water off the heat.
- 4
Soak
Pour the warm syrup over the hot cake and let it drink it in for at least an hour before cutting along the scored lines.
Chef's tips
- Hot cake, warm syrup — that temperature contrast lets the syrup soak all the way through.
- Resting the batter before baking gives the semolina time to swell for a tender crumb.
Frequently asked questions
Fine or coarse semolina?
Fine semolina gives a smoother, more cake-like crumb; a mix of fine and medium adds a pleasant grainy bite.
How long does it keep?
Four to five days at room temperature in a tin — it actually improves as the syrup settles in.