Middle Eastern Semolina Coconut Cake – Basbousa
This Middle Eastern Semolina Cake is not your ordinary cake! Semolina is the star ingredient giving this cake a unique sandy texture and the coconut flavor is subtle and not overpowering. The sugar syrup keeps it moist for a very long time.
What makes this dessert so easy is that there is no risk of overmixing the batter.
Here are some information about the ingredients:
- Semolina – Semolina is the key ingredient. There are 2 types- fine and course. I prefer fine semolina as it creates a smooth and velvety texture.
- Coconut – I prefer unsweetened shredded coconut. It gives a subtle coconut flavor. Avoid using sweetened coconut because it will make this dessert overly sweet.
- Oil – Traditionally, people use ghee or even butter. But I find that oil keeps this cake soft even if refrigerated.
- Plain Yogurt – Despite being a cake, yogurt is used instead of eggs. Don’t use Greek yogurt as it is too thick for this recipe.
- Honey – Honey is used not for sweetness but to hold the cake together.
- Baking soda – Many recipes use only baking powder. However, the addition of baking soda when mixed, reacts with yogurt gives a spongy texture rather than a dense feel to the cake.
- Orange blossom water– While my basbousa cake calls for orange blossom water, you can also use rose water too. Middle Eastern desserts use both of them. Avoid using vanilla extract or essence.
- Garnish – I prefer using blanched and slivered almonds. But whole almonds can be used too.
The prepared batter is usually thicker than a traditional cake. Score the batter before baking, as shown in the picture above for reference. Traditionally it is cut it into diamond shapes, but square shapes work too. Decorate each piece with blanched slivered almonds or even whole almonds.
Middle Eastern desserts are not complete without sugar syrup! The key here is adding COOL syrup to HOT basbousa. Drench the entire cake in the syrup – the sides, the cuts, and the top. It will seem as if the syrup is too much! But the cake will fully soak up the sugar syrup.
People often serve this sweet treat on special occasions and during religious festivals, making it a symbol of celebration and hospitality. However, you can also enjoy it all year round.
Middle Eastern Semolina Coconut Cake – Basbousa
Ingredients
- 3 cups semolina (fine)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup coconut shredded (unsweetened)
- 1 cup yogurt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup Slivered almonds
Ingredients for Sugar syrup
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon orange blossom water/ Rose water (optional)
Instructions
Sugar Syrup Preparation:
- Start with the sugar syrup preparation first.
- In a saucepan, add sugar and water on medium-high heat and stir till the sugar dissolves.
- Reduce the heat to medium, COVER and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes.
- Then add the lemon juice and orange blossom water/ rose water (if using), give it one final stir and remove from the heat. Allow it to cool completely
Basbousa Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Next prepare a 9×13 inch baking dish by brushing it very well with oil.
- Measure out yogurt in a wide container and add baking powder, baking soda, milk, honey and oil. Leave it for 5 minutes. The mixture will start to bubble and rise.
- In another wide container mix, semolina, sugar and coconut. Add the yogurt-milk mixture to it and stir to completely combine. The mixture will be thick but should not be dry (if you feel it is too dry add a few tablespoons of milk).
- Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish, spread and pat it to level it.
- Using a knife, make square or diamond cuts of your desired size. Add almond slices to each cut piece.
- Bake in the middle rack for 25-30 minutes.
- If the top still appears white in color after 25-30 minutes then turn the broiler on. Broil for 3-5 minutes (keep the dish in the middle rack). Keep a close eye and as soon as you see the top turning golden brown remove it.
- Once removed from the oven, immediately pour the cooled syrup over the hot basbousa. Make sure to pour around the edges, in the cuts and over the basbousa too.
- Leave it for at least 1 hour. During this time, it will cool down and slowly the sugar syrup will be absorbed.
- Then enjoy!
Notes
- Prepare the sugar syrup first since it has to be completely cool before pouring over the piping hot basbousa.
- Lemon juice is added to the sugar syrup to prevent sugar from crystallizing once it cools.
- Instead of using a 9×13 inch dish, you can also divide the mixture between two 9×9 inch baking pans. The baking time will slightly reduce about 20-25minutes.
- Adding baking soda to the yogurt-milk is important (although many recipes do not call for it), This gives the basbousa a slightly fluffy texture and prevents it from becoming dense.
- Make cuts before baking. After baking, the cake falls apart if you try to cut it as it is very hot. Also the cuts are important to allow the sugar syrup to get absorbed into the basbousa.
- Do not delay pouring the sugar syrup. If the basbousa cools down it will not absorb the sugar syrup. The cake will turn out dry with the syrup floating on it.
- I like to use oil to make basbousa (instead of ghee/butter). This keeps the basbousa soft even if it is refrigerated.
- If you do not have orange blossom water or rose water, you can leave it. But do not replace it with vanilla essence.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container and can last for 1 week. You can either warm the slices in the microwave or let it come to room temperature or even enjoy it cold!
