Basbousa — semolina cake soaked in citrus syrup
Basbousa is the great semolina cake of Egypt and the Levant — coarse-textured, dense, and drowned in a citrus-or-rose-perfumed sugar syrup the moment it leaves the oven. Cut into diamonds and topped with a single almond, it is one of the canonical homecoming sweets across the Arab world.
i. Origin & history
Versions appear under different names across the region — revani in Turkey and Greece, hareesa in Lebanon, nammoura in Syria. The Egyptian name basbousa is the most internationally recognised. All share a common Ottoman-era ancestor.
ii. Ingredients
Makes 24 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 300 g coarse semolina
- 200 g caster sugar
- 100 g desiccated coconut
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 200 g unsalted butter, melted
- 250 ml plain whole-milk yoghurt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 30 whole almonds, blanched, for topping
- 300 g caster sugar (syrup)
- 250 ml water
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp rose water or orange-blossom water
iii. Method
- Heat oven to 180 °C / 350 °F. Grease a 23 × 33 cm pan.
- Make the syrup: simmer sugar, water and lemon juice 8 min to a thin syrup. Stir in rose water. Cool completely — cold syrup, hot cake.
- Mix semolina, sugar, coconut, baking powder and salt. Whisk together melted butter, yoghurt, eggs and vanilla; fold into the dry mix to a thick batter.
- Spread in the pan; smooth flat. Score into 5 cm diamonds; press an almond into each diamond.
- Bake 30-35 min until deeply golden across the top.
- Immediately on removing from the oven, pour all the cold syrup evenly over the hot cake. Cool fully (2 hours minimum) so the syrup soaks in completely.
iv. Tips & common mistakes
- Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
- Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
- Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.
v. Variations
Hareesa (Lebanon) is the same cake under a different name. Nammoura often adds tahini. Revani from Turkey and Greece is the close cousin — sometimes with citrus zest in the batter. Modern versions add cream-cheese layers (kunafa-style) or a layer of dates.
vi. Common questions
What is basbousa?
Basbousa is semolina cake soaked in citrus syrup, from middle eastern cuisine. Cut into diamonds and topped with a single almond, it is one of the canonical homecoming sweets across the Arab world
Where is basbousa from?
Basbousa is from the middle eastern dessert tradition; the recipe and history are detailed above.
How long does basbousa keep?
See the storage note in the Quick facts panel: 5 days at room temperature.