Go Back
Print

Coconut Semolina Cake / Basbousa

Course Dessert, Snack, Tea Time
Cuisine Fusion, Middle Eastern
Keyword Baking, Cake, Coconut, Dessert, Semolina, Snacks, Tea Time
Servings 8 Servings

Ingredients

Syrup

  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice (fresh or bottled)

Cake

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup semolina
  • 1 cup desiccated coconut, plus more for garnish
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup plain yogurt (regular or Greek; any fat content)
  • ½ cup neutral flavored oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Prepare Syrup

  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the sugar has dissolved and remove from the heat. Set aside.

Prepare Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and set aside a greased 9”x13” baking dish.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, semolina, coconut, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Add yogurt, oil, and vanilla and mix.
  4. Add liquid ingredients to flour mixture, and gently mix until thoroughly combined. Transfer batter to prepared baking pan and bake until an inserted toothpick near the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. For a golden color, place under the broiler for a few minutes.
  5. Allow the cake to cool for about 5 minutes. Pour the prepared syrup over the warm cake and allow it to be absorbed. Garnish with desiccated coconut.

  6. Allow the prepared cake to sit for a few hours to soak up the syrup, before slicing and serving.

Recipe Notes

Recipe can be halved and baked in a 9-inch round pan or 8-inch square pan. Bake time will be around 20 minutes.

The syrup needs to only be cooked until the sugar has dissolved. This should only take a couple of minutes, and the consistency should still be pourable and not too thick.

Cake can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days. It can be stored for longer in the refrigerator.

Semolina has a tendency to absorb liquids. The cake may initially taste very sweet, however after soaking for a few hours, the sweetness definitely mellows out and the resulting cake is perfect in terms of sweetness and texture.