Pineapple Sheero Cake
This cake is inspired from Indian dessert Sooji ka Halwa or Gujarati's call it Sheero. In India, every part makes a different variation of Sheero. This one is inspired from pineapple kesari. It's made with semolina and flavors of cardamom and saffron, topped with simple syrup flavored with cardamom, saffron and pineapple. It's also topped with roasted pineapple chunks and adorned with silver edible leaf. It's eggless sweet.
Servings: 10 servings
Ingredients
Cake batter
- 1 cup semolina
- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- Tiny pinch of salt
- 1 cup yogurt
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup butter /ghee
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp Orange/ lemon zest
- 2-4 strands of saffron
Cardamom Simple Syrup
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 2 tbsp Pineapple juice
- Pinch of Saffron strands
- 1 tsp cardamom powder
- Edible silver nuts, rose petals etc. for decoration
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease the bottom and sides an 8 x 8 pan and set aside. I used parchment paper. If you are using small tart pans like I did, then no need for parchment paper. Just grease them lightly.
- Whisk the semolina, all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Add sugar too. Gradually add whisked yogurt and melted butter or ghee. Roughly crush saffron strands in between you palm, and add it to the milk, add vanilla extract, orange zest too.
- Stir milk mixture and mix until the batter looks perfect. If you added saffron strands and make sure it is distributed throughout.
- Pour the batter into the greased pan or mini tart pans, spread the batter and smooth it out with spatula and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the cake is a nice and golden. Note – if you use smaller tart pan or smaller pan, it will be done in 15- 20 mins. Time varies pan to pan.
Cardamom Simple Syrup
- While the cake is baking make syrup - add the water, sugar, and pineapple juice, cinnamon stick, cardamom powder and saffron to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Do not thicken it too much. Set aside to cool.
- As soon as the cake come out of the oven, take a ladle full of syrup gently pour over the cakes or cake evenly. You can pierce the cake too with a toothpick or a fork to allow the cake to absorb the syrup fully.
- Sprinkle with your favorite nuts and lightly roasted pineapple pieces, you can also add edible gold or silver and allow to cool.
- Once cool cut into diamond or square pieces.
Notes
- It can be served room temperature or even cold. I prefer to cover and leave it for a at least couple of hours before serving that way the syrup has flavored the cake.
- You can bake this in mini tart pans or muffin pans too. Baking time will differ.
- Easiest way to bake them for a crowd is baking pan.
Do not simmer the syrup too long as we do not want it to thicken.