basbousa recipe

Basbousa Cake, also known as Namoura or Harissa, is rich and dense with a rustic texture from semolina, and a sticky sweetness from rose or orange blossom-scented sugar syrup.

Basbousa Recipe aka Harissa Dessert (Middle Eastern Coconut Semolina Cake)

sugar

water

lemon juice

orange blossom water (or rose water)

tahini (to grease the baking pan)

semolina

baking powder

coconut

unsalted butter (at room temperature)

milk

almonds

Add the sugar, water and lemon juice to a medium, thick-bottomed saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat, giving the pan an occasional swirl and skimming off any foam on the surface.

Turn heat down slightly and boil 2 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally. (The syrup will thicken more upon cooling.)

Turn off heat and stir in the orange blossom water or rose water; cool to room temperature, then use.

For the Scented Sugar Syrup:

Preheat oven to 3750F (1900C); brush the tahini on the inside of a 10-inch (25 cm) round baking pan.

Whisk together the semolina, baking powder, salt, sugar, and coconut in a large bowl. Stir in the butter and milk until combined.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread it out evenly; let it sit for 10 minutes.

Score the batter into 1-inch (2.5-cm) square or diamond shapes with a sharp knife, periodically dipping the knife in hot water and drying it off before continuing to score the batter; place 1 almond in the center of each diamond.

Bake until the sides and top are golden brown, about 30 minutes. (If the sides are brown but the top isn’t, you can broil the cake for a couple minutes to brown the top.)

Once out of the oven, cut the cake along the lines you scored. Slowly pour the cooled syrup onto the hot cake. Let the cake sit at room temperature 2 hours to absorb the syrup before serving.

For the Cake:

Pumpkin spice cake lovers take note: a swirl of winter squash is folded into this sweetly chai-spiced basbousa recipe from Dubai baker Majed Ali.

Pumpkin-Spice Basbousa Recipe

Tbsp. melted unsalted butter,

Tbsp. baking powder

cinnamon

fine sea salt

nutmeg

vanilla extract

eggs

pumpkin purée

Finely-chopped pistachio,

chai teabags

green cardamom pods, crushed

cloves

unsalted butter

orange juice

Make the basbousa: Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350° F. Grease an 8- by 8-inch square cake pan and line the bottom and two sides with a sheet of parchment paper, leaving 3 inches of overhang on two of the sides.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the semolina, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then continue whipping until the batter is frothy, about 2 minutes. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture just until no dry streaks remain, then fold in the pumpkin purée. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the surface, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 25–30 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, make the chai syrup: In a small pot, stir together the sugar and 1½ cups water over low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, about 2 minutes. Add the teabags, cardamom, cinnamon stick, and cloves, bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down to maintain a strong simmer. Cook until the syrup is concentrated and deeply flavorful, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove and discard the spices, then transfer the teabags to a small sieve. Hold the sieve above the saucepan, pressing on the teabags to extract as much liquid as possible, then discard them. Stir in the butter and orange juice, then set the syrup aside to cool to room temperature.

When the cake has cooled, poke it all over with a toothpick, around 12 times. Pour the cooled syrup over the cake, cover loosely with foil, and set aside for 1 hour to allow the cake to absorb the liquid. Slice the basbousa into 12 pieces and serve warm or at room temperature. Basbousa keeps well in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

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