Revane (Bulgarian Semolina Syrup Cake)
A Bulgarian semolina cake baked light and slightly coarse, then soaked through with cold lemon syrup while still hot from the oven - pouring cold syrup over a hot cake, rather than the other way around, is what lets it soak in evenly without ever turning gummy or too wet.
⏱ 60 min🍽 9 servings
dessertbakingvegetarian
Ingredients
- •1 cup semolina
- •1 cup flour
- •1 tsp baking powder
- •1 cup plain yogurt
- •3 eggs
- •3/4 cup sugar (for the cake)
- •1/2 cup vegetable oil
- •1 tsp vanilla extract
- •1 1/2 cups sugar (for the syrup)
- •1 1/2 cups water
- •1 tbsp lemon juice
Steps
- 1.Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9x9-inch baking pan.
- 2.Make the syrup first so it has time to cool: combine the syrup sugar and water in a small pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, then set aside to cool completely, ideally in the fridge - the syrup needs to be cold by the time the cake comes out of the oven.
- 3.Whisk the eggs and cake sugar together until pale, then whisk in the yogurt, oil, and vanilla.
- 4.In a separate bowl, mix the semolina, flour, and baking powder, then fold into the wet ingredients until just combined.
- 5.Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- 6.While the cake is still hot, cut it into squares directly in the pan, then slowly ladle the cold syrup evenly over the top, letting it soak in fully before serving - hot cake with cold syrup is what lets the semolina absorb it evenly instead of turning soggy on top and dry underneath.