FFwD - Caramel-Topped Semolina Cake

I am a bit of a free spirit. I like being able to make my own decisions, prioritise my work, and structure my day as I see fit, and I can get quite cross when someone interferes with that. Last week, I had permission to work from home for a couple of days so that I could keep an eye on my dear Mum, who ended up in hospital for a week, and I thrived on the freedom of being able to dress as I chose, not having to catch public transport, and being able to eat whatever I wanted to whenever I wanted to with a fully stocked refrigerator and pantry at my disposal. This was my idea of bliss (even if the circumstances in which I attained it were far from ideal).


Accordingly, arrangements for this month's French Fridays with Dorie are right up my alley. While the recipes have been assigned based on the group's votes, this month we have the freedom to make them in whatever order we please. This has worked well for me, as I am afraid that if I had had to come up with a baked chook for this week, it would not have happened, as I only arrived back home late on Tuesday evening from the family home interstate, and I have not had time to shop let alone cook.


For this reason, I selected the Caramel-Topped Semolina Cake as first cab off the rank for this month. The only thing I needed to buy was semolina, although this nearly proved a stumbling block in itself, as I went to three supermarkets and wandered aimlessly down many aisles before I located my quarry. Eventually, the health food section of Champions Super IGA in Little Collins Street yielded the elusive semolina, and I have just made the Friday mark for making and posting my dish.


For the uninitiated, semolina is a baby cereal type product that some people do eat for breakfast, although I am not sure that I am ready for that. The fine yellow grains cook up with milk to form a thick substance not unlike porridge or cous cous, and cooked semolina formed the basis of this week's cake.


The cake is topped with caramel (which is the first component added to the baking tin), and the end result is not unlike a creme caramel, as the semolina base is distinctly smooth and custard-like (albeit studded with raisins).


Unfortunately for me, I did not get runny caramel oozing over my cake; rather, the caramel formed a non-runny layer that sat on the top of the cake. I don't think that this was a barrier to enjoyment; however, it just wasn't what I was expecting from the description in the recipe. A "gotcha" not mentioned in the recipe was that I had to run a knife around the edge of my cake to turn it out, as my first attempt to unmould it left the cake and the caramel steadfastly sticking to the pan.


I enjoyed this cake, although I think it would benefit from substituting the raisins for stewed apple or chopped mango, as Dorie suggested for variations. The raisins were OK, but not as wonderful as a soft fresh fruit would have been with the custard-like base.


You can see what other FFwD members thought of this cake as the month progresses at the LYL link for the Caramel-Topped Semolina Cake on the FFwD website.