Basbousa. Treat your taste buds to the super moist and decadent Middle Eastern (Egyptian) classic made with semolina and coconut. With the added sweetness from rose flavored sugar syrup, this cake is the ideal way to take your celebrations to the next level.
There’s no denying the pure elegance that the ever-popular cakes hold. Whether it’s a layered frosted cake or a simple tea cake, in my opinion, these sweet treats never lose their stardom.
Obviously, a simple homemade cake is one of the easiest ways to celebrate any occasion. So, let me introduce you to a beautiful cake with an added dose of sweetness - basbousa, the classic Middle Eastern cake made with semolina and sweetened with rose flavored sugar syrup.
Start with the batter for the perfect basbousa. First, eggs, sugar and vanilla are combined to make smooth mixture. Next, the main element, semolina goes in with coconut, yogurt and melted butter. The two key ingredients, semolina and coconut, gives the cake its unique taste and texture.
After combining these ingredients together, sift a little plain flour and baking powder into the semolina mixture. Whisk all ingredients together to make the batter. The batter goes into a greased tin ready to bake. Before it goes into the oven, you can decorate the cake with almonds if you like.
While basbousa is in the oven, you can make the sugar syrup. Equal quantities of sugar and water are boiled, and then flavored with lemon juice and rose water. Once the cake comes out of the oven, cut them into squares and pour in warm sugar syrup. That way, the cake will absorb the syrup and turn super moist. The added sweetness from the syrup also make it really delicious. Let the cake cool in the tin, and then decorate with slivered almonds or pistachios.
I really love the fresh aroma of cake filling my house turning it into a sweet haven. Trust me, this basbousa is incredibly delicious, it’s one of the best cakes I’ve ever tasted.
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Basbousa | Semolina Coconut Cake | Video
Ingredients
Batter:
- 3 medium eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 and ½ cups coarse semolina
- ½ cup desiccated coconut
- ½ cup thick yogurt I used Greek yogurt
- ½ cup melted butter
- ½ cup all purpose flour plain flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Sugar syrup:
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon rose water
Other ingredients:
- ¼ cup slivered almonds optional (see notes)
- Melted butter to grease baking tin
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C / 350F. Grease a baking tin (I used 15cm x 25cm pan) with melted butter. Set aside.
Batter:
- Place eggs, sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Whisk until combined. Add semolina, coconut, yogurt and butter. Whisk again until combined. Place a sieve on the bowl. Sift flour and baking powder into the bowl. Fold in. Ideally, the batter should be very thick.
- Pour batter into the greased baking tin. Level top. Shake and tap gently to remove air pockets. Transfer to preheated oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean.
Sugar syrup:
- Meanwhile, place water and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add lemon juice. Increase the heat and boil the mixture for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in rose water. Keep the syrup warm.
Basbousa:
- Place the cake on a flat surface. Using a sharp knife, cut the cake into squares. Pour in sugar syrup. Leave cake to cool in tin. Decorate with slivered almonds.
Video
Notes
- If slivered almonds are not easily available, make them at home. Place whole almonds in ½ cup water. Boil for one minute. Remove skin. Slice.
- I used 15 cm x 25 cm rectangular baking tin to make the cake. You can also use a square or circle tin if you like
Nutrition
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Sunitha says
Hi,
Wonderful recipe...may I know how much ml cup you use for baking recipes....
Thank you
Rose Mary George says
I use 250 ml cup for all the recipes. For more info, please refer to this conversion chart: http://www.nishkitchen.com/conversion-chart/
Neha says
Can I use fine semolina flour instead??
Rose Mary George says
Coarse semolina works best in this recipe! You may not get the right texture with fine semolina! Thanks!
Kasturi says
What can I replace the eggs with to make eggless cake( vegetarian )
Rose Mary George says
Very thick yoghurt 🙂
Natalie M says
I cannot find rosewater where I am. Is there another flavor I could use as a substitute that would also taste great?
Rose Mary George says
Rose essence or lemon juice would be perfect! 🙂