Basbousa

Basbousa

Coconut basbousa made with medium semolina and yogurt. The wet and dry ingredients are mixed together, then left to rest, baked in a hot oven and then at 180° with bottom heat only, and after baking it is soaked with warm syrup and decorated with almonds.

A sweet semolina cake soaked with syrup.

Like syrup-soaked cake squares.

Pour the syrup over the cake after baking so it absorbs well.

Ingredients

  • 130 g or 1½ cups Medium coconut flakes
  • 250 g or 1½ cups Medium semolina
  • 200 g 1 cup Vegetable oil
  • 200 g or 1 cup Sugar
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1.5 tablespoons Vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 300 g or 1½ cups Yogurt
  • 1½ tablespoons Baking powder
  • 50 g or 5 tablespoons Powdered milk
  • Lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon Ghee
  • 1¼ cups Syrup (sheera)
  • as desired Almonds for decoration
  • a light coating Tahini for greasing the pan
  • mentioned as an alternative decoration Cashews
  • mentioned as an alternative decoration Pistachios

Instructions

  1. Mix the eggs in a bowl.
  2. Add the lemon zest to the bowl of eggs.
  3. Add the vanilla to the bowl of eggs.
  4. Add the sugar to the bowl of eggs.
  5. Whisk the wet ingredients in the bowl until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth.
  6. Mix the semolina, coconut, powdered milk, baking powder, and salt in another bowl.
  7. Add the dry-ingredient mixture to the wet-ingredient mixture in the bowl.
  8. Mix until the batter is ready.
  9. Leave the batter to rest in the bowl for 10 minutes or 20 minutes, as stated by the chef.
  10. Set the oven to 200° with top and bottom heat while the batter rests.
  11. When placing the pan in the oven, lower the temperature to 180° and use bottom heat only.
  12. Grease the pan or Pyrex dish with a light coating of tahini.
  13. Pour the batter into the pan or Pyrex dish.
  14. Level the surface of the batter in the pan or Pyrex dish so that it is an even thickness.
  15. Leave the pan on the counter for 2 minutes before decorating, as stated by the chef.
  16. Arrange the almonds over the surface of the batter in the pan or Pyrex dish.
  17. Place the pan in the oven at 180° with bottom heat only.

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