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Basbousa (Semolina Cake)

Basbousa: a moist semolina and coconut cake soaked in orange-blossom syrup and topped with almonds.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Resting 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
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
 

  1. For the syrup, boil the sugar and water for 8 minutes. Add the lemon juice and orange blossom water and let cool.
  2. Heat the oven to 180°C and grease a 20 × 30 cm tin.
  3. Mix the semolina, coconut, sugar and baking powder. Stir in the yogurt and melted butter.
  4. Spread in the tin, score into diamonds and press an almond into each.
  5. Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden.
  6. 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.