Heat the oven to 180 C / 350 F. Grease a 9x13-inch (33x23 cm) baking dish and line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the semolina, flour, coconut, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In a second bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, until pale and slightly thickened. Whisk in the yogurt, oil, orange zest, and vanilla until smooth.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Fold gently until no dry streaks remain. The batter should be thick but pourable, like heavy pancake batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick from the center comes out clean.

While the cake bakes, combine the syrup sugar, water, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, and lemon peel in a 2-quart / 2 L saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until it thickens slightly like thin honey. Remove the cinnamon stick and lemon peel.

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, cut it into squares while it's still in the pan. Cutting it hot helps the syrup soak in evenly.

Slowly ladle the warm syrup over the hot cake, a little at a time, letting each pour absorb before adding more. Pouring cold syrup over a cooled cake is the most common mistake, since it just sits on top instead of soaking in.

Let the cake sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours, or overnight, so the syrup soaks all the way through. It's ready when the top looks glossy and no syrup pools on the surface.

Serve at room temperature, on its own or with a spoon of unsweetened whipped cream.