Traditional Middle Eastern Basbousa Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole almonds
- 3 cups semolina
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups yogurt
- 1/4 cup ghee
- 1 teaspoon liquid vanilla
- 1/4 cup coconut
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1.5 cups syrup
Preparation
In a medium-sized pot, put some water and let it boil on high heat, add the almonds and leave for a few minutes then peel them while hot
Prepare a 13-inch round baking tray
In a deep bowl, put semolina, sugar, yogurt, ghee, vanilla, coconut, baking powder, and baking soda, then mix with a wide plastic spoon to form a liquid dough
Spread the basbousa mixture in the tray
Place the basbousa on the kitchen table to rest a little
Set the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 180°C
Garnish the basbousa with almonds as desired
Bake the basbousa for 30 minutes or until golden brown
Immediately after removing the basbousa from the oven, spread the hot syrup over it
Let the basbousa cool completely then cut for serving
Syrup
Combine 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer until the mixture thickens to a syrupy consistency
