Basbousa

Name: Basbousa
Cook time: 100 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Middle Eastern
Ingredients: 300g Coarse Semolina; 80g Unsweetened Desiccated Coconut; 120g Granulated Sugar; 250g Plain Full-Fat Yogurt; 120g Ghee, melted; 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder; 1/4 tsp Fine Salt; 1 tbsp Tahini, for greasing the pan; 21 Blanched Whole Almonds, for topping; 300g Granulated Sugar; 240ml Water; 1 tbsp Lemon Juice; 2 tsp Rose Water

Basbousa is a tender, honeyed semolina cake studded with coconut and finished with a fragrant rose-lemon syrup and toasted almonds. Each piece delivers a slightly grainy, melt-in-your-mouth texture from the coarse semolina and a rich, nutty note from tahini and ghee. Serve warm or at room temperature for a comforting Middle Eastern dessert that's both simple and elegant.

Basbousa is a tender, honeyed semolina cake studded with coconut and finished with a fragrant rose-lemon syrup and toasted almonds... Show more

Traditional Middle Eastern Recipe

Health Grade

E · Indulgent

Rating

4.2

Time

1 hr40 min

Price

0,27 €

Calories

392 kcal

vegetarian

easy

kid friendly

comfort food

Method

Make the syrup

Combine the Granulated Sugar, Water, and Lemon Juice in a small saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the syrup looks clear and slightly thickened. Take it off the heat, stir in the Rose Water, and set the syrup aside to cool completely while you make the cake.

Preheat and grease

Preheat the oven to 180° C. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with Tahini (for greasing the pan), coating the bottom and corners evenly so the basbousa releases cleanly after baking.

Mix the batter

In a large bowl, mix the Coarse Semolina, Unsweetened Desiccated Coconut, the sugar reserved for the batter, Baking Powder, and Fine Salt. Pour in the Plain Full-Fat Yogurt and Ghee (melted), then stir until you have a thick, evenly moistened batter with no dry patches. Scrape the sides of the bowl so everything is well blended, but keep the mixing gentle rather than vigorous.

Rest the batter

Let the batter stand for 20 minutes so the semolina and coconut absorb the yogurt and ghee. This short rest helps the basbousa bake up tender instead of dense.

Fill and score

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer. Smooth the top, then score it into 12 diamond or square portions with a sharp knife, cutting almost to the bottom. Press a Blanched Whole Almonds (for topping) into the center of each piece.

Bake until golden

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is deep golden brown and the edges look set and just starting to pull away from the pan. If the cake still looks pale at 30 minutes, give it a few more minutes so the semolina develops that classic toasty flavor.

Soak and serve

As soon as the basbousa comes out of the oven, slowly pour the cooled syrup over the hot cake, aiming for the score lines so it soaks in evenly. Let it sit for 15 minutes so the syrup is fully absorbed, then run a knife back through the cuts and serve warm or at room temperature.