Basbousa, Eggless Basbousa, Arabic semolina cake

Basbousa also known as kareesa or revani is a a very soft, moist and lip smacking middle eastern sweet cake drenched in sugar syrup with flavors of rose water and commonly topped with blanched almonds. Basbousa is prepared with semolina/ fine sooji also called farina along with coconut in both egg and Eggless version. This delectable sweet cake can be easily prepared at home as it requires just few everyday ingredients, also the preparation is a very simple one yes just mix up the ingredients and bake add drench the baked product in sugar syrup and indulge right away in sweet cake. Brought up in dubai I really got used to this sweet cake that I started preparing my own version since the time I learnt baking. This arabian dessert can be prepared with many variations like with milk, with curd and many more according to preferences but the key ingredient semolina/ sooji and coconut remains the same. . This is one such favorite cake not only to me but to my hubby too. There is no special reason or special day to feed your loved ones with sweets/ cake so made it today and thought to post it in the blog the same day for no special reason. If you are one already craving for a eggless version of basbousa then it right here. So lets get to the baking!

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Basbousa, Eggless Basbousa, Arabic semolina cake

2017-11-06 22:09:46

Serves 4

Prep Time

40 min

Cook Time

45 min

Total Time

1 hr 25 min

Prep Time

40 min

Cook Time

45 min

Total Time

1 hr 25 min

For cake

1. Fine Sooji/ Rava/ Farina – 1 cup
2. Butter – ¾ stick (melted)
3. Coconut – ½ cup
4. Sugar – ½ cup
5. Baking powder – ½ tsp
6. Curd – 1 cup
7. Vanilla syrup – 1 tsp
8. Almonds – 10
9. Chopped pistachios - 2 tbsp (for garnish, optional)
10. Saffron starnds - few (for garnish, optional)

For syrup

1. Sugar – ¼ cup
2. Water – ½ cup
3. Lemon juice – ½ tsp
4. Rose water– ¼ tsp

Note

* 1 cup = 235 ml

Instructions

Soak almonds/ badam in water for 2 to 3 hours or boil almonds in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes t o peel the skin. Keep this almonds aside.
In a wide bowl add sooji/ rava/ semolina, sugar, baking powder, melted butter curd and vanilla syrup. Mix well until everything is combined. You will notice a thick mixture.
Now add desiccated coconut to the sooji mixture and give it a good stir. Grease a baking tray with few drops of melted butter and keep it aside. When everything looks combined transfer the mixture to a greased baking tray. Now refrigerate this for 15 to 20 minutes.
Preheat oven at 350F. After 20 minutes take the refrigerated basbousa mixture out and make marking with knife into desired shapes. I made rectangle shapes but you can make diamond or square according to your preference. Now in each rectangle place the blanched almonds. Now place the baking tray in preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes. When cake looks done with even golden browning on the top and sides insert a toothpick to check if its done. If the toothpick comes out clean remove it from oven. If the toothpick has some batter bake for some more time.
Meanwhile heat a pan add water and sugar, mix well and boil it till sugar melts. When the sugar syrup starts to boil well put off the flame. Now add lemon juice and rose syrup in sugar syrup. Give it a good stir and keep it aside.
Now to the hot cake, pour this sugar syrup completely. Let the cake soak in sugar syrup for an hour or 2 then slice the cake in shapes already marked. Serve its and enjoy! Place the leftover cake in refrigerator and serve it the next day after heating it a bit.

By Sandhya Riyaz

Sandhya's recipes https://www.sandyathome.com/

How to make Basbousa with step by step images

Soak almonds/ badam in water for 2 to 3 hours or boil almonds in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes t o peel the skin. Keep this almonds aside.
In a wide bowl add sooji/ rava/ semolina, sugar, baking powder, melted butter curd and vanilla syrup. Mix well until everything is combined. You will notice a thick mixture.
Now add desiccated coconut to the sooji mixture and give it a good stir. When everything looks combined keep it aside.
Grease a baking tray with few drops of melted butter and keep it aside. When everything looks combined transfer the mixture to a greased baking tray. Now refrigerate this for 15 to 20 minutes.
Preheat oven at 350F. After 20 minutes take the refrigerated basbousa mixture out and make marking with knife into desired shapes. I made rectangle shapes but you can make diamond or square according to your preference. Now in each rectangle place the blanched almonds.
Now place the baking tray in preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes. When cake looks done with even golden browning on the top and sides insert a toothpick to check if its done. If the toothpick comes out clean remove it from oven. If the toothpick has some batter bake for some more time.
Meanwhile heat a pan add water and sugar, mix well and boil it till sugar melts. When the sugar syrup starts to boil well put off the flame. Now add lemon juice and rose syrup in sugar syrup. Give it a good stir and keep it aside.
Now to the hot cake, pour this sugar syrup completely. Let the cake soak in sugar syrup for an hour or 2 then slice the cake in shapes already marked. Serve its and enjoy! Place the leftover cake in refrigerator and serve it the next day after heating it a bit.