Pumpkin Semolina Cake with Kefir

Name: Pumpkin Semolina Cake with Kefir
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 300 g Pumpkin; 60 g Sugar

Airy, soft, with a bright flavor and autumn mood! Pumpkin Semolina Cake with Kefir is a real find for pumpkin lovers. Crumbly semolina batter pairs perfectly with this vegetable. Lemon zest and syrup enrich the flavor, adding a pleasant tang!

4.7

(16)

Updated : 19 September, 2025

Easy

About 45 min.

Ingredients

300 grams

Pumpkin

200 grams

Wheat flour

200 grams

Semolina

200 grams

Kefir

200 grams

Sugar

100 grams

Butter

2

Eggs

1 tablespoon

Lemon zest

1 tablespoon

Baking powder

1 teaspoon

Vanilla sugar

50 milliliters

Water

Syrup

60 grams

Sugar

50 milliliters

Lemon juice

Table

Table of volume measurements:

teaspoon - 5 ml
dessert spoon - 10 ml
tablespoon - 20 ml
glass - 200 ml

Preparation

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Step 1

Use premium-grade flour. Any fat content of kefir will work. The butter should be at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge in advance.

Step 2

Pour room-temperature kefir over the semolina and let it soak for 30 minutes.

Step 3

Peel the pumpkin, remove seeds, and grate the flesh on a medium grater.

Step 4

In a bowl, combine softened butter, eggs, lemon zest, sugar, and vanilla sugar. Beat with a mixer until fluffy. The better you beat the eggs, the airier the cake will be.

Step 5

Add the soaked semolina with kefir and the grated pumpkin. Beat again.

Step 6

Gradually add sifted flour mixed with baking powder, beating until smooth. Don’t add all the flour at once - you may need more or less. Adjust by consistency.

Step 7

The batter should be thick but not too stiff.

Step 8

Transfer the batter to a greased baking pan. It makes a lot of batter, so use a large form. My pan was 12×4.3 in (31×11 cm). Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for about 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out dry.

Step 9

While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup. Depending on how much juice you extract from the lemon, adjust the water so the total liquid volume is 3.4 fl oz (100 ml). I had 1.5 fl oz (45 ml) lemon juice and 1.9 fl oz (55 ml) water.

Step 10

Pour lemon juice and water into a saucepan. Add sugar. Place over low heat, bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Step 11

Remove the cake from the oven and soak the top with lemon syrup. Let it sit for about 15 minutes, then transfer to a plate and serve. Enjoy!