Name: Basbousa (Semolina Cake)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 80 min
Ingredients: 250 g fine semolina; 50 g desiccated coconut; 100 g sugar; 1 tsp baking powder; 250 g plain yogurt; 120 g butter (melted); 24 blanched almonds; 300 g sugar (for the syrup); 200 ml water; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp orange blossom water

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Basbousa: a moist semolina and coconut cake soaked in orange-blossom syrup and topped with almonds.

About this Middle Eastern recipe

Basbousa is a syrup-soaked semolina cake enjoyed in Egypt and across the Middle East, often during Ramadan. The hot cake must meet cool syrup so it absorbs without turning soggy.

Ingredients you will need

The main ingredients are fine semolina, desiccated coconut, sugar, baking powder, plain yogurt, butter. Exact quantities are in the recipe card below.

How long it takes

Allow 1 hr 20 min in total: 15 min of preparation, 35 min of cooking and 30 min of resting, chilling or soaking. The recipe serves 12.

Basbousa (Semolina Cake)

Basbousa: a moist semolina and coconut cake soaked in orange-blossom syrup and topped with almonds.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 35

Resting 30

Total Time 1 20

Servings: 12 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Middle Eastern

Calories: 300

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

250 g fine semolina
50 g desiccated coconut
100 g sugar
1 tsp baking powder
250 g plain yogurt
120 g butter melted
24 blanched almonds
300 g sugar for the syrup
200 ml water
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp orange blossom water

Method

For the syrup, boil the sugar and water for 8 minutes. Add the lemon juice and orange blossom water and let cool.
Heat the oven to 180°C and grease a 20 × 30 cm tin.
Mix the semolina, coconut, sugar and baking powder. Stir in the yogurt and melted butter.
Spread in the tin, score into diamonds and press an almond into each.
Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden.
Pour the cool syrup over the hot cake. Leave for 30 minutes to absorb before cutting.

Notes

Hot cake and cool syrup, never both hot. This keeps the texture moist rather than wet.