First I have to say these look horrible but taste delicious. Part of the problem was that I believed the recipe and stuck with 12 cakes. As I was filling the cups, I thought this looks like an awful lot of batter, and guess what? I should have went with my instincts - when will I learn? This is a recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi - a big guru in the food arena. I understand that he is known for his bold flavors, but I find it hard to understand how he could fail to include vanilla in these. Sorry I added it and it was spot on. But who am I to question genuis? Semolina-Lemon Syrup Cakes Follow the recipe except add 1 tsp of vanilla and fill at least 14 cups of a standard cupcake tin - trust me. See - definitely needed to fill the cups less!! These were just so moist and lemony. I could've eaten the whole batch alone.