Basboosa / Basbousa / Semolina Cake 

Ingredients

Plain Semolina / rava – 1.5 cup

All purpose flour (Maida) - 1/2 cup

Butter – 1/2 stick 

Sugar – 1/2 cup

Plain yoghurt – 1 cup

Baking powder – 1 tsp

Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

Egg - 3

For the Sugar syrup

Water – 1 cup

Sugar – 1 cup

Rose water – 3 tsp

Lemon juice – 2 tsp

Method

 Cream the egg and 1/2 cup sugar using an electric mixer or hand mixer (I used hand mixer). Add yoghurt and vanilla extract. Beat until combined. Now add butter and combine well. Add the semolina flour and baking powder. Mix well with a spatula until you have a sticky dough. Let it rest for 30 minutes. Preheat an oven to 180c. Transfer the dough into a well-greased 7 x 11 inch baking dish or a 10 inch round cake pan and level the dough using your fingers/spatula. Now make a  line partially  to squares or diamonds. Press an almond or any nut you prefer onto each diamond.Bake for 20 -30 minutes till the edges are brown. Take out the baking dish using your oven mitts. Now cut the partially baked dough to squares or diamomd.   Now put it on broil mode for 2 – 3 minutes so that surface will turn golden brown. Take it out of the oven. Meanwhile combine the water, sugar and 2 tsp rose water in a saucepan. Stir at medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture has a syrupy consistency ( would not take more than 7 – 10 minutes). Add the lemon juice and 1 tbsp rose water. Turn off the stove. When the basboosa is done in the oven, take it out using your oven mitts. Pour the Sugar syrup all over the hot basboosa. Cool and take out the cakes from the baking dish using a metal spatula. It tastes best after 1 – 2 days.. Cool down and enjoy!!

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