A couple of summers ago, I made a Honey Basil Olive Oil Cornbread on a whim for a BBQ, and to my surprise, it turned out so well that I documented and posted the recipe for my reference in the future.
Recently, I found myself with a lot of leftover thyme from a dish my partner and I made for a Thanksgiving potluck. That’s when I started thinking about how to use it in something new. I’ve always loved the dense, comforting texture of cornbread, but this time I wanted something a bit lighter and more delicate in flavor. I had some semolina flour in my pantry, and thought it would be perfect for the texture I was envisioning.
Pairing semolina with honey and olive oil felt like a natural choice. I knew the sweetness of honey and richness of olive oil would complement the earthy, citrusy notes of thyme perfectly. The result? A subtly sweet, moist cake with a delicate balance of savory thyme and smooth olive oil, all held together by the tender texture of semolina. It’s everything I love about cornbread but with a lighter, more elegant twist. Baked in a small muffin pan, it creates pretty bite-sized cakes that are perfect for pairing with tea.
Flavors & Highlights:
🍯 Honey: Sweet & floral and just a bit acidic. It pairs so well with thyme. A drizzle on top of the cake adds the perfect finishing touch.
🌱 Fresh Thyme: Bright, citrusy, and aromatic, it adds subtle complexity and makes for a pretty garnish.
🌾 Semolina: For a texture reminiscent of cornbread but more refined.
🥛 Greek Yogurt: Brings moisture, richness, and a hint of acidity to enhance the flavor and boost leavening.
🫒 Olive Oil: Adds richness and flavor that is a no brainer to pair with honey and yogurt.
Looking for more tea time snacks? You might like these:
- Sourdough Mamon: Filipino Egg Sponge Cake
- Black Sesame Lady Fingers
- Candied Pomelo Scones
- Honey Basil Olive Oil Cornbread (sourdough or not)
Honey Thyme Semolina Olive Oil Cake
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 25 g all purpose flour
- 25 g fine semolina flour
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp baking soda
- pinch salt
- 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme
Wet ingredients
- 25 g extra virgin olive oil
- 40 g honey
- 30 g cane sugar
- 30 g greek yogurt
- 25 g egg (half an egg)
- 15 g milk
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and set aside.
- Cream oil, honey & sugar together until light & fluffy. Whip in egg, yogurt & vanilla. Then add milk.
- Cream wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, beat together the oil, honey, and sugar until light and fluffy. Then, whisk in the egg, yogurt, and vanilla extract until smooth. Finally, add in milk.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring until just combined.
- Line the mini silicone muffin pan with liners and fill it with batter about 3/4 the way full.
- Bake the cakes for about 25 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with fresh thyme before serving. Enjoy!
Looks like a great recipe! How much vanilla extract, in any (listed in instructions but not ingredients), and what’s the oven temperature?
Thanks for catching that Charlene! It should be 1/4 tsp vanilla extract and the oven temperature should be 350F.