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Basbousa, an Egyptian semolina cake with yogurt is one of the best Egyptian desserts that come out fairly quickly. One bowl, mix and dump kind of recipe, yet is hard to make perfect.
What is Basbousa?
Basbousa/basboosa is a term in the Middle East that refers to very sweet semolina – sort of- cake.
It is a semolina-based cake with a delightful sweetness. The sweet taste is a result of soaking the dish in sweetened syrup.
Basbousa Recipe
Egyptian desserts often consist of a cake or pastry and syrup (baklawa and kunafa), and basbousa is the same idea; in this dish, the addition of yogurt mellows out the sweetness, yielding a cake that’s super-satisfying but still light enough that you’ll have room for seconds.
In Libya, people usually add desiccated coconut into the cake mixture for a lovely rich flavor.
The syrup for the cake is usually a fragrant one like rose water or orange blossom water. The fragrance is one of the critical features of the cake that makes everyone love it.
Using ghee (or samna, as it’s called in Egypt) as the cooking fat here is key. While you can use melted unsalted butter as a substitute, ghee, which is essentially clarified butter, has a richer, nuttier flavor that makes this dessert stand out in a crowd.
There are a variety of ways to make basbousa—some recipes may include adding shredded coconut or doing away with the yogurt altogether. Best of all, it’s a one-bowl wonder.
This is a relatively forgiving bake, but the secret to making the perfect basbousa is getting the timing of the syrup right: You want the syrup to be hot and ready to pour just as the cake comes out of the oven, so keep your eye on the timer.
Customarily, the cake is garnished with almonds for an exciting texture and nutty flavor.
The cake is often paired with Arabic cardamom coffee and Qashta cream.
Be sure to recreate this incredible delicacy. Enjoy!
Basbousa Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Semolina
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 tbsp Honey
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 8-10 Almonds chopped
- 1/2 cup Melted butter
- For the Syrup: 1 cup Sugar
- 1 cup Water
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tbsp Dried Rose Petals
Instructions
- 1.Whisk the semolina, sugar and baking powder together in a large container.
- 2.Then add the yogurt, melted butter and combine well to make a thick batter.
- 3.Pour the batter into the greased baking pan. Bake for 30-45 minutes until crispy and golden brown.
- For Lemon & Rose Syrup :1.Boil water in a pan and add lemon extracts, juice, sugar and dried rose petals
- 2.Boil for 5-10 minutes until the syrup thickens.
- 3.Pour the syrup over the still hot cake and allow it to be absorbed, at least an hour.
- 4.Serve after a complete full-fledged meal or as an evening snack with a cup of black coffee or tea.