Rich sugee (semolina) cake

Ingredients

• 220 g unsalted butter, softened slightly at room temperature
• 100 g caster sugar
• 3 tablepsoons milk
• 100 g semolina (sugee) flour
• 3 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks
• 110 g caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
• 80 g plain flour (all-purpose flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder1
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 120 g ground almonds
• 50 g finely chopped almonds (almond nibs)

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Preparation

• Cream butter and 100g sugar in a mixer for about one minute at medium high speed. With the mixer still on, add milk gradually, followed by the
  semolina flour. Mix till combined. Switch off the mixer and let the mixture stand for an hour. This allows the semolina to absorb moisture.
• Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a rectangular tin of 7" x 9" or an 8" round pan on the bottom and sides. Line the bottom of the tin with parchment paper.
• Beat eggs and egg yolks in a mixer till frothy. Add 110 g sugar gradually and beat at medium high speed for a full five minutes till pale-coloured. After that add in the essence and beat to combinine.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Add ground and chopped almonds. Mix well. Add half the egg mixture to the butter mixture. Fold gently till almost
  combined. Then add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture and fold.
• Add remaining egg mixture and flour mixture alternately. Fold till all ingredients are combined. Do not overmix. Pour mixture into cake tin and smoothen the surface with a spatula.
• Bake for 45 - 50 minutes. If the top of the cake starts to burn, remove the cake from the oven after 25 - 30 minutes, cover the top of the cake with aluminium foil, then bake for another 20 minutes.
• The cake is ready when an inserted skewer or satay stick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes at room temperature before removing it from the tin. Run a knife round the side of the cake and overturn it onto a wire rack to cool.