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Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes |
Ready In: 45 Minutes Servings: 28 |
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Strange as it may sound, this cake tastes wonderful. I fell in love with a cake called basbousa while staying in Jordan, and couldn't find semolina anywhere here back home in the states, so I made up my own version using cream of wheat, when I remembered having cooked semolina the same as I did cream of wheat back home. Jordanians don't have cream of wheat. Funny how we miss things only when we don't have them. Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, unsalted |
3/4 cup sugar |
1 teaspoon vanilla extract |
2 eggs |
2 cups cream of wheat, uncooked |
1 teaspoon baking powder |
1/2 teaspoon baking soda |
3/4 cup plain yogurt (not low fat, use regular or it'll be too moist) |
blanched split almonds (garnish) |
2 cups sugar |
1 1/2 cups water |
1 tablespoon lemon juice (if using concentrated juice in a bottle, add a little water or it'll be too strong) |
Directions:
1. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla extract together in a medium bowl until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Sift the cream of wheat with the baking powder and baking soda two times, then fold into the butter mix alternately with the yogurt.
4. Grease a 8x12 inch pan and fold the batter into it evenly.
5. Arrange the almonds along the top so that each half will be in the center of a piece when it's cut, you should have about 4 almonds across and 7 almonds down.
6. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Meanwhile, make the syrup by dissolving the sugar into the water in a small heavy saucepan over high heat until it begins to boil.
8. Add the lemon juice.
9. Turn the heat down to med-high, and boil rapidly about 10 minutes, then cool by standing the pan in a larger pan of cold water.
10. When the cake is cooled, cut as desired.
11. We usually make diamond shapes or squares, and serve by spooning the syrup over the cake.
12. If desired, thick whipped cream can be served over top instead, or a bit of honey syrup.
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