Russian Semolina Cake (Mannik)

Elena Butuc

I shared this semolina cake during our cooking workshop, and it was a huge hit with everyone. This traditional Russian dessert is versatile, perfect for any occasion, whether as bread or cake (with added filling or topping). It boasts a porous texture with incredible softness, pleasing even the most demanding palates. Plus, it's straightforward to make without requiring any complex techniques or fancy ingredients.

You can customize the filling with nuts, chocolate, raisins, dried fruits, or other favorite ingredients, and finish it off with a layer of jam, melted chocolate, or a dusting of powdered sugar.

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Ingredients

Metric US

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Semolina

1 cup

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Buttermilk/Youghurt/Kefir

1 cup

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Sugar

1 cup

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Butter

100 g

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Egg

2 pieces

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Salt

0.25 tsp

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White flour

1 cup

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Baking powder

10 g

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Vanilla Extract

1 tbsp

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Dark chocolate

100 g

for the filling

Step by step

Step 1

Place the semolina in a bowl and add the kefir, mixing well to avoid lumps.

Allow the semolina to absorb the moisture for about 2 hours.

Step 2

After this period, you'll see that the mixture has thickened nicely.

Step 3

Melt the butter and mix it with the sugar.

Step 4

Incorporate this mixture into the semolina and kefir blend, mixing well.

Then add the eggs and salt, and mix thoroughly.

Step 5

Finally, add the flour blended with baking powder, vanilla, and finely chopped chocolate.

Mix everything together thoroughly.

Step 6

Pour the batter into a tray lined with baking paper (or a silicone tray, which doesn't require greasing) and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 30 minutes.