Revani – Delicious Turkish Semolina Cake
If I have to name one of the best cakes that I've ever made, then Revani is definitely one of those! I had so many fails while trying to make this cake as most of the tests were very dry (I mean the cake turned out to be dry). I have come across this recipe while reading this cookery book called Artichokes and Village Greens by Fofi Gourlas, which combines the elements so well in this Revani cake. I have modified the quantities a bit and I have subtituted the orange with lemon and orange blossom water to give it an oriental touch. Revani is not actually Turkish, it is believed to have Greek origins too. What I can tell you for sure is that you will want to make it over and over again. Moist semolina cake, soaked in lemon and orange blossom water syrup...Yum Yum!
- 3 g ouă (large, separated)
- 50 g zahăr
- 150 g unt (very soft, room temp)
- 75 g făină
- 1 tsp praf de copt
- 130 g plain yogurt (or greek yogurt, I tried both but I prefer the texture given by plain yogurt as it is not so thick)
- 90 g griș
- zest of one lemon (organic)
- 1 tbsp apă din flori de portocal
- 100 g zahăr
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp apă din flori de portocal
- 30 g apă
- Making the cake
Start by beating the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the soft butter and mix everything well, followed by the lemon zest and orange blossom water. Add the yogurt and mix everything well.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, semolina, baking powder and a little bit of salt. Add this to the liquid ingredients and mix for a couple of seconds (do not over-beat!). The dough will be pretty thick but that is normal.
Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they form soft peaks and you get a nice meringue. With a metal spoon incorporate the meringue into the cake batter gradually, folding it in circular motion, from the bottom to the top.
Transfer the dough to a cake tin (please add baking sheet) and then bake the cake for approximately 30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick in the cake comes clean.
- Make the syrup
For the syrup, add the sugar, water and lemon juice to a pot and boil until the sugar is dissolved and it is bubbly. Please do not over boil as the sugar will start caramelising and the syrup will get hard, so keep an eye on it. Turn off the heat once the sugar has dissolved and add the orange blossom water. Pour the hot syrup over the hot cake (make some holes in it with a toothpick) and let it rest for 30 minutes until it absorbs all the liquid.
You can decorate it with chopped pistachio, greek yogurt, oranges etc. Enjoy!