namoura

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:

Namoura Cake, aka Basbousa or Harissa is a traditional Middler Eastern sweet dessert, made with semolina flour and topped with a simple sugar syrup.

Namoura- Lebanese Semolina Cake

For the Cake

Semolina flour- Coarse

butter- unsalted

yogurt- plain

tea spoon baking powder

baking soda

Raw and peeled whole almonds

rose water

lemon

In a small sauce pan, combine sugar and...

In a small sauce pan, combine sugar and water over medium-high heat. Stir well.

Bring mixture to a boil.

Add lemon juice.

Lower heat to medium low and simmer for...

Lower heat to medium low and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Remove the syrup from the heat, add the...

Remove the syrup from the heat, add the rosewater, give it a quick stir.

Set aside and let it completely cool down...

Set aside and let it completely cool down before topping your Namoura.

Preheat oven to 350F, and line a nonstick...

Preheat oven to 350F, and line a nonstick half sheet pan (17 inch x 11 inch) with parchment paper. Grease the parchment sheet with baking spray and set aside.

In a large size bowl, whisk together the...

In a large size bowl, whisk together the semolina, sugar, baking powder and baking soda.

Stir in the butter rose water or orange...

Stir in the butter rose water or orange blossom and yogurt until combined. You might need to use your hands.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, wet...

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, wet your hands a little with water and spread it out evenly.

Score the batter into 1-inch square or diamond...

Score the batter into 1-inch square or diamond shapes with a butter knife and place 1 raw almond in the center of each diamond.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the sides...

Bake for 30 minutes or until the sides and top are golden brown.

Remove from oven and pour sugar syrup evenly...

Remove from oven and pour sugar syrup evenly all over sheet cake, immediately. Cut the cake along the lines you scored. Let the cake come to room temperature to absorb the syrup before serving.

Enjoy!

Whether you call it Namoura, Basbousa, or just Semolina cake this recipe will delight. Made with semolina flour, almonds, and topped with a simple syrup.

Namoura

½ cups coarse semolina flour

ghee (melted)

tahini

orange blossoms water

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together the semolina, sugar and ghee until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the milk and baking powder and continue mixing until batter comes together, 1-2 more minutes.

Allow mixture to rest covered for 45 minutes to soften the semolina.

Meanwhile, make the simple syrup. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the orange blossom water and lemon juice. Pour syrup into a heat proof container and allow to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush the tahini on the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Wet your palms with water and spread the mixture evenly with your hands.

Cut the semolina cake into diamonds by making 5 cuts lengthwise and 8 cuts crosswise on the diagonal. Place an almond into each diamond. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Pour the cold simple syrup on top of the hot semolina cake as soon as you remove it from the oven. Allow the cake to cool for at least one hour before serving.

Basbousa is one of the most popular Middle Eastern cakes. It is made of coarse semolina flour and sweetened by simple syrup. It comes together effortlesly and is always a crowd-pleaser.

Basbousa (Middle Eastern Semolina Cake)

Plain Yogurt

Sugar

1.5 tsp Baking Powder

tsp Baking Soda

Semolina, coarse

Butter, unsalted, melted (this is equivalent to 1 stick of butter)

Fine Coconut Flakes

Milk

tbsp Tahini Paste (this is used to coat the baking pan)

Whole Almonds (enough for each piece of semolina cake. approx. 24 almonds)

Water

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Prep your 9x13 baking dish by brushing the bottom of edges of the pan with the tahini paste.

In a bowl, mix the yogurt, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda together. Set that to the side. You will notice the yogurt slighty bubble and rise.

In another bowl, stir together the semolina with the melted butter until it begins to come together. At this point, fold in the coconut powder as well.

Add the yogurt mixture into the semolina mixture and combine the two well. To this, add the milk. Mix until a cohesive batter comes together.

Add the batter into the prepped baking pan spreading it out evenly. Tap the baking pan against a surface to release any air bubbles that may be in the batter before baking.

The batter is thick enough to cut into pre baking. Cut into even squares or diamonds in the size of your preference. I got approx. 24 pieces out of my pan. See video above for demonstration.

Add a whole almond to the center of each piece just tapping it gently into the batter. You can also add a sprinkle of coconut powder over the top of the batter if you would like before baking.

Bake uncovered in the oven for 25-30 min on the bottom rack until the edges start to brown. Then, move the pan to the top rack for another 5-10 minutes so the whole cake gets a beautiful light brown color.

While the cake bakes, prepare the simple syrup by stirring together the sugar and water until the sugar is completely dissolved. Let this simmer for about 8 minutes until it thickens and add a asqueezeof lemon at the end.

Once the cake is out of the oven, re-inforce the previously cut lines by going over it again with a sharp knife. Then, pour the warm syrup all over the top of the semolina cake. The cake especially when warm will soak it up.

Allow for the cake to cool completely for at least an hour before taking the slices out or you can risk it crumbling. You also want the cake to absorb all of the syrup. Enjoy a slice with a cup of tea or coffee!

A delicious and authentic semolina and coconut cake baked to perfection and soaked in simple syrup. There&#039;s nothing like it and it comes together so quickly!

Moist Namoura (Basbousa Recipe)

orange blossom water

coconut (unsweetened)

butter

full fat greek yogurt

thick cream (optional)

almonds (for decorating)

Add all ingredients to a pot, stir and bring to a boil. Turn to medium heat and simmer for roughly 10 minutes. Add the orange blossom water if using, and leave to cool to room temperature on the counter.

Sugar Syrup

Mix all dry ingredients (semolina, sugar, coconut, baking powder, baking soda) together very well with a spoon.

Add the wet ingredients (Greek yogurt, cream, milk, and melted butter) and mix well. Feel free to use your hands to ensure everything is well incorporated. Allow the batter to rest for 20 minutes.

Grease a circular or rectangular pan with tahini or butter (I used a 23cm pan but depends on your preferred thickness - it rises slightly).

Add the mixture into the pan and flatten it using a spoon.

Score the top of the batter in diamond shapes to make cutting it easier after baking. You can cut into any shape. Place the almonds in the centre of each piece.

Bake at 400 F for 45 mins until golden brown. Note that baking time will vary depending on your pan size. If using a larger pan and the namoura is thinner, start by halving this baking time and check it regularly (see notes)

Remove from oven and pour sugar syrup on top right away and leave it 30 mins to soak it all in.

Cut namoura using a sharp knife to avoid crumbling and serve.

Cake Batter

Hi Amira
Which semolina is right for this recipe?
Wheat semolina which is white colour and Durum semolina which is yellow colour. 

Please clarify. 
Thank you 

This is by far the best basbousa recipe ever! I made it for my friends and it was such a hit!

I was surprised to see that I haven't rated yet, since I made this cake countless times and it always turns out amazing. 
My (palestinian) boyfriend was literally stunned when I made it the first time and my arab friends always tell me it's like their moms basbousa!
I have made some adjustments over time, which include adding shredded almonds in the batter- so delicious and I use a little less sugar and more coconut as well. The orange water is a must, however.
Now - during ramadan - a MUST TRY!

This recipe turned out beautifully and was polished off in a day! I didn’t use all the syrup initially and really regretted it. I love the lemony taste! Also I did not have to bake it for too long. Mine baked in 25 minutes. I kept the temperature at 180c as it would have burnt in my oven at a higher temperature. Thank you so much for this great recipe!!

Hi there! Really keen on trying this recipe. Should I use salted or unsalted butter?

Wow, super ,, I made today and it was soft and tasty . The way you explained is easy to understand

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