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Basbousa - Egyptian Coconut Semolina Cake
A delightfully sweet semolina and coconut cake topped with an almond and soaked in a refreshing lemon syrup. A classic Egyptian dessert that's wonderfully indulgent and fragrant.
Ingredients
- 250 g fine semolina
- 200 g shredded coconut
- 100 g white sugar
- 12 piece whole blanched almonds
- 150 ml milk
- 80 g melted butter
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 400 ml water
- 1 piece fresh lemon
- 1 piece cinnamon stick
- 3 piece whole cloves
- 0.5 tsp vanilla
- 0.25 tsp salt
Instructions
Step 1
Mix the semolina, coconut, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Step 2
Add the milk and melted butter, mix until you have a wet and homogeneous dough.
Step 3
Pour the dough into a lightly buttered rectangular baking pan and smooth the surface.
Step 4
Cut the dough into diamonds or squares and top each piece with a whole blanched almond.
Step 5
Bake at 190°C for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden.
Step 6
Meanwhile, prepare the syrup by boiling water with sugar (add an additional 100 g for extra sweetness if desired), add the cinnamon stick, cloves, and lemon juice.
Step 7
Let the syrup simmer for 10 minutes, then let it cool. Remove the spices.
Step 8
Remove the cake from the oven and immediately pour the hot syrup over it. Let cool completely before serving.