Apple and Cinnamon Revani

A western twist on a traditional and popular Mediterranean sponge cake known as Revani. Apple sauce, cinnamon and cloves flavor this Ottoman era dessert.

This is the latest recipe in my obsession with the Mediterranean cake known as Revani. This is a cake that started in Turkey but has spread in popularity throughout the Mediterranean. The Greeks use the Persian name Revani but it is also known as Basbousa in Arabic.

This time I put a western spin on this cake by flavoring it with apple pie flavorings instead of the traditional orange, lemon or rose syrup flavors. If you want to start with a more traditional Revani recipe or step-by-step instructions on how to make it, try my Turkish Revani Recipe.

This isn’t the first time I played around with Revani. I made a Blueberry Lemon Revani and took a lot of liberties, maybe too many. There are some versions that use polenta. It might be because most people use what they have and polenta is common in Northern Mediterranean countries. Revani is traditionally made with semolina flour which is a finely ground durum wheat flour. Also, I was in a Summer mood and lemon and blueberries were on my mind. I made a sweet little lemon and ginger syrup to pour over the cake. This was fun to make and pretty too.

What Revani should I make next? Should I make more or stick with tradition? Do you ever play with your food?

Did you make this recipe?  Don’t forget to rate the recipe and comment below!  Take a picture and tag us @FusionCraftiness #FusionCraftiness on Instagram for a chance to be featured in our Insta Stories:)

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Apple and Cinnamon Revani

Yield: 16 slices

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

A western twist on a traditional and popular Mediterranean sponge cake known as Revani. Apple sauce, cinnamon and cloves flavor this Ottoman era dessert.

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Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups semolina flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

Wet Ingredients

• 2 cups apple sauce
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup oil

Syrup

• 1 1/2 cups apple juice
• 2/3 cups white sugar
• 1 tsp minced ginger

Optional Garnishes

• Nuts such as walnuts or pecans
• Coconut flakes

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl add wet ingredients and mix.
2. Stir in dry ingredients.
3. Pour batter into a greased 10-12 inch round pan.  Let sit for one hour for the semolina flour to absorb the liquid ingredients.
4. While the cake is resting make the flavored syrup. Add sugar and apple juice into a medium saucepan and heat on medium heat until simmering.  Add ginger, remove from heat and set aside.
5. Preheat oven to 350F or 170C.  Bake cake on a rack in the middle of the oven for 30-45 minutes.  The time it takes to bake the cake depends on the size of pan you used and your oven.  Keep a close eye on the cake after 35 minutes.  The cake is done when the middle is firm, the sides have pulled away from the pan and the is some golden color to the top.  If you are not sure, insert a toothpick in the middle, there should be no wet batter on the toothpick.
6. Remove cake from oven.  Take a knife and gently run it around the edge of the cake, helping to separate the cake further from the pan.  Cut your desired slices.  Pour syrup over cake and let absorb.
7. Once the syrup has absorbed, invert the cake onto a plate and re-invert onto a cake stand.  Garnish as desired.
8. Share with friends!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 240Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 74mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 2gSugar: 23gProtein: 4g

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