This Turkish Middle Eastern semolina cake dessert gets its flavor from fresh lemon juice and zest. An easy sponge cake that bakes up quickly and absorbs a delightful lemony sugar syrup. Make your Turkish delight fancy with a star pattern and almond slivers.
How to make Revani
Revani is made in four basic steps and bakes up in only 35 minutes. It is a very easy cake to make and perfect for the beginner baker.
First mix cake ingredients in a bowl and pour into pan. Let rest for one hour. Next cut a pattern into cake, decorate with almonds. Then bake in oven. Pour syrup over cake.
Serve with optional creme fraiche or whipped cream.
Revani syrup flavors
The syrup that flavors the revani varies. The most common flavors are lemon, orange and rose.
This recipe calls for the zest and juice of one lemon but you can make an orange flavored cake by using the zest and juice of an orange or use orange water. Rose water is a common pantry item in Middle Eastern pantrys and can be used in this recipe instead of lemon or oranges. I think making a vanilla cake with some saffron would be amazing.
If you make this cake, let us know which variation you made and how you liked it by leaving a comment below.
Optional additions
You don’t have to use almonds, you can use other nuts instead like pine nuts, peanuts and walnuts.
I have never seen berries used but I think a strawberry or blueberry slurry would be wonderful. You would have to replace the milk with it. That might take some experimenting. If you choose to do this, I would make a traditional cake first so that you can get a feel for how thick the batter should be then you can adjust when you make a berry version.
Other names for Revani
Probably due to regional migration, traditional recipes spread throughout the Middle East but may be known by other names. Revani is no exception.
Below are the other names for Revani or at least names of cakes that are very similar. If you have any insight to this, please leave a comment below so that we all may learn. Thanks in advance!
- Basbousa – Arabic
- Shamali – Armenian
- Revani – Persian, Greek, Turkish
- Nammoura – Lebanese
- Pastusha – Kuwait
- Sambali – Turkish
Basically, the Middle East loves semolina cake soaked in flavored sugar syrup. So if you are traveling and you see something like this, rest assured it’s going to be good no matter what they are calling it.
Turkish Revani Semolina Cake in Lemon Syrup
Prep Time: 1 hour- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Yield: 20 pieces 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: Turkish
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
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Pin RecipeDescription
This Turkish Middle Eastern semolina cake dessert gets its flavor from fresh lemon juice and zest. An easy sponge cake that bakes up quickly and absorbs a delightful lemony sugar syrup. Make your Turkish delight fancy with a star pattern and almond slivers.
Ingredients
- CAKE
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 2 cups semolina flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- zest of one lemon
- cooking spray
- About 1/2 cup almonds
-
SYRUP
- 2 cups of granulated sugar
- 2 cups of water
- juice of one lemon
- OPTIONAL GARNISH
- creme fraiche or whipped cream.
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 400F.
- In a large bowl, mix the first five ingredients. Pour into a greased 25-30cm baking pan. A large pie pan or a springform pan work well. Let sit for one hour for semolina to soak in the liquid.
- While cake is soaking, bring water and sugar to a simmer, turn off heat. When cool, add lemon juice.
- After one hour, cut semolina cake into your pattern of choice. Place blanched, peeled almonds in a decorative pattern. You can use either whole almonds or slivers.
- Bake cake for about 35 minutes until golden colored.
- Remove from oven, re-cut your pattern so the syrup soaks up the syrup. Pour syrup over entire cake.
- Wait at least one hour to serve or over night.
- Serve with creme fraiche or whipped cream if desired.
Notes
- The syrup can be made into other flavors such as orange, rose water or vanilla. Just add zest and juice of an orange instead of a lemon, or rose water or vanilla.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 202
- Sugar: 31 g
- Sodium: 41 mg
- Fat: 2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 2 g
This was fantastic! You are right, it’s one of the easiest desserts I have ever made. I’m going to try the blueberry one next, I think it would look beautiful, I will let you know how it turns out.
★★★★★
Lemon is my absolute favorite and a stunning cake dunked in lemon is my way to eat cake! Need a huge slice like right away! 😉
Have fun making this, I was surprised as to how easy this was to make. Enjoy!
Looks like I am going to start trying a little more Middle Eastern cooking after looking at this one!! The fresh lemon and everything sounds so amazing!
★★★★★
Middle Eastern cooking is my new culinary frontier. I wish I would have explored it earlier. This dessert it s a winner since it is so easy to make. Enjoy Jessie!
That lemon syrup seems like it would bring such great flavour to this dish!! I love the step by step photos as well. Nice recipe, cheers!
★★★★★
I’m glad the step-by-step photos were helpful. It’s really helps me see if I’m doing a recipe right so I am glad this is helpful.
It’s time to explore more of the Turkish cuisine because this cake is incredible! It also reminds me of so many tasty desserts that I need to try. Great way to enjoy something sweet and delicious!
★★★★★
I love trying new foods too! I think we are kindred spirits Laura. Enjoy:)
Everything looks so good but the one thing that got me is that lemon syrup. OMG it must be so yummy and different than other desserts with this syrup. Very interesting.
I love lemon too! I think any citrus would be great here but lemon is my favorite. This cake is so easy too so no reason not to make it:)
I almost always see this next to the baklava when I’m in a Middle Eastern market. I think I had the one with rose water and it was magnificent. The delicate flavors and the texture is what I remember most. I need to try this, especially with the rose water. Your berry idea sounds intriguing too. Thanks!
★★★★★
I hope you try a berry version and tell me all about it. I think a blueberry or raspberry one would looks so pretty and stunning. Try it and let me know!