Namoura (Semolina Cake)
This Middle Eastern semolina cake is known as namoura or basbousa. It has a similar texture to cornbread, but is drenched in a sweet simple syrup flavored with orange blossom or rose water.
Servings: 16 pieces
Calories: 253kcal
Ingredients
Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.
- 2 cups semolina
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsps baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- ½ cup ghee or melter butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 16 whole almonds
Syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsps lemon juice
- 2 tsps rose water
Instructions
Prepare Batter
- In a medium bowl, whisk semolina flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir coconut into the dry ingredients.
- In a small bowl, mix yogurt, ghee (or melted butter), and vanilla. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mix until combined.
- Grease an 8”x8” baking dish with butter or tahini. Spread the batter into the pan and slice with a bench scraper or a sharp knife into 16 squares. Add one almond in the center of each square. Cover and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Prepare Syrup
- Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, mix syrup ingredients and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Boil over high heat for 5 minutes or until thickened. Set aside to cool.
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Place cake on the center rack and bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and drizzle with the cooled syrup. The syrup will soak into the cake as the cake cools off.
Notes
- This resting time allows the dry semolina flour to hydrate, so don't skip it!
- If you are fasting from dairy, or want to make this namoura recipe vegan-friendly. Just substitute ¾ cup of orange juice for the yogurt and use coconut oil instead of butter or ghee.
- Most recipes call for the coconut to be stirred into the batter. Still, others sprinkle the coconut on top.
- Occasionally you'll see a namoura recipe baked in a round pan and cut into wedges. Play around with the various shapes to see what you prefer.
- Store leftover namoura cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days on the counter, or refrigerate for up to a week.
- Namoura can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1piece | Calories: 253kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 116mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g
