Ravani (Greek Semolina Cake)
Notes
- To avoid soaking the cake, this recipe is modified to make less syrup than the original.
Yield
One 9” x 13” cake.
Ingredients
Syrup
- 600 mL (2.5 cups) water
- 800 g (4 cups) granulated sugar
- Peel of one lemon
- Cinnamon stick
- Juice of half a lemon
- 40 g (2 tbsp) honey
Cake
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp mastic finely ground with 15 g (1 tbsp) sugar in a mortar and pestle (optional)
- Zest of one lemon
- 8 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 250 g (1 cup) butter, melted
- 200 g (1 2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
- 200 g (1 1/4 cup) semolina
- 2 tbsp baking powder
- Chopped pistachios, to garnish
Steps
Syrup
- Combine the water, sugar, lemon peel, and cinnamon stick in a pot over medium-high heat.
- Bring to a boil. When the sugar has fully dissolved, add lemon juice, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Add honey, stir, and set aside to cool completely.
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 ºF (180 ºC). Lightly grease a 9” x 13” pan.
- Place the sugar and mastic-sugar mixture (if using) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add lemon zest and work into the sugar.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract, then beat for 5-6 minutes on high speed until light and fluffy.
- Lower speed and add melted butter. Beat for 20-30 seconds to incorporate and set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, semolina and baking powder.
- Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
- Transfer to prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden.
- Remove from oven and immediately begin pouring the cooled syrup over the cake gradually with a ladle. Do not pour it over the cake all at once because it will crack.
- Pierce cake with the blade of a knife so that it absorbs the syrup more easily.
- Let cool for at least 30 minutes then refrigerate to chill. Garnish with chopped pistachios.