Basboosa AKA Harissa
This simple cake made with semolina and coconut is a dense, moist cake, gooey with a fragrant simple syrup. This cake has a delicate balance of citrus notes, coconut, optional rose notes, and accented with golden almonds on top.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 c coarse semolina
- 1/2 c sugar
- 1/2 c butter or coconut oil
- 1 c finely shredded coconut
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 c plain yogurt
- 2 tbsp sour cream
- 1 tbsp orange zest optional
- 1/2 cup halved almonds optional, for garnish
For the syrup:
- 1 3/4 c water
- 2 c sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp orange juice
- rind of fresh orange peel optional, for flavoring or 1 tsp rose essence, or 1 tsp orange blossom essence
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F).
For the syrup
- First make the syrup as it needs to cool and thicken and cool before pouring onto the baked cake. Pour the sugar and water into a pot and bring to a boil.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, add the lemon juice and orange juice. The pectins allow the syrup to thicken, instead of caramelize into a hard candy.
- Allow to simmer 3-5 minutes until the mixture slightly thickens. Do not leave it for too long or it will caramelize and burn. Add orange rind as it boils, or after the syrup has thickened.
- When the liquid has reduced a bit, remove the rind if added, and add the butter and vanilla and stir well. Add rose essence, or orange blossom essence once you remove it from heat. Remove from heat once the butter has melted and allow to cool.
For the cake batter
- For the cake, mix all the ingredients together in bowl until well combined. Cover with a towel and allow to sit for 30 minutes.
- Spread into a 9" baking pan and place a halved or slivered almond on top where you will slice each square. Bake for 30 minutes until the top is golden. You may also top the basboosa with slices of citrus.
- Once you remove the pan from the oven, pour the cooled syrup over the entire cake, evenly, while the cake is still hot. Allow it to absorb; you might not need to use all of the syrup. Slice into squares or diamonds, garnish with more crushed almonds or pistachios, and enjoy!
Notes
Basboosa is traditionally topped with nuts. My mom uses slivered almonds, but in Egypt I have seen crushed pistachio or hazelnuts as well. Use what you like! For a nut-free version, I use slices of fresh oranges as we have allergies in our home. Make it beautiful and top with what you like.