Qamar Al-Din Besbousa Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- a pinch of salt
- 1 cup fine semolina
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup corn oil
- 1/2 cup apricot juice or qamar al-din
- 2/3 cup yogurt or labneh
- 1 cup shredded coconut
Qamar al-din mixture
- 1 cup apricot juice
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons custard powder
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon rose water
Decoration
- dried apricots
- dried roses
- pistachios
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a baking pan.
In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients for the cake: flour, baking powder, salt, semolina, and sugar.
In another bowl, whisk the eggs and combine with vanilla extract, corn oil, apricot juice or qamar al-din, and yogurt or labneh.
Combine the wet and dry mixtures, stir in shredded coconut, and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
While the cake bakes, prepare the qamar al-din mixture by combining apricot juice, milk, sugar, custard powder, and butter in a saucepan.
Cook the qamar al-din mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened, then remove from heat and stir in rose water.
Prepare a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together until dissolved, and add flavorings if desired.
Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and immediately pour the syrup over it to soak.
Allow the cake to cool, then spread or layer the qamar al-din mixture on top.
Decorate with dried apricots, dried roses, and pistachios before serving.
