Revani is a Turkish dessert made with semolina cake soaked in lemon-flavored syrup. It is a light and fluffy dessert that is perfect for a hot day.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time50 minutesmins
Chill & Cool3 hourshrs
Total Time4 hourshrs5 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Turkish
Keyword: cake, lemon
Servings: 16small squares
Author: The Hungry Pinner
Equipment
medium saucepan
zester or fine box grater
heat-proof container to store syrup
8"x8" baking dish
large mixing bowl
wire cooling rack
Ingredients
For the Syrup:
1 ½cupssugar
1 ½cupswater
½lemonzest and juice
For the cake:
3eggs
½cupsugar
1cupyogurt
1cupvegetable or corn oil
3tbspflour
1cupsemolina
1tbspvanilla
½tspbaking soda
1tbspbaking powder
½tspsalt
1tbsplemon zest
Instructions
To make the syrup:
In a medium saucepan, bring water and sugar and bring to a boil. Allow the mixture to boil for 5 minutes. The sugar should be completely dissolved and the mixture will thicken slightly.
1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 1/2 cups water
Add the lemon juice and zest to the pan, stir well, and continue boiling for another 3 minutes.
1/2 lemon
Remove the pan from the heat and carefully transfer the syrup to a heat-proof container. Chill the syrup in the refrigerator until cold.
To make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350℉ with the rack in the middle.
Oil an 8"x8" baking pan and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar well then mix in the yogurt and vegetable oil.
3 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup yogurt, 1 cup vegetable or corn oil
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake until the top of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, about 30-40 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven, place it onto a wire rack, and allow to cool for at least 1 hour.
Once the cake is cooled, slowly add the chilled syrup. You may need to add it a little at a time and allow the cake to absorb it before adding more.
Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight) to allow it to completely absorb the syrup before cutting into squares and serving.
Notes
This is a re-write of a recipe by Christine at Honey and Butter since the recipe is no longer posted at http://www.honeyandbutter.com/desserts/turkish-semolina-cake-in-syrup-revani-2. I have used the same ingredients and quantities and re-written the instructions based on my experience with this recipe. Tips:Refrigerate the simple syrup uncovered so it cools faster. Adding a lid will hold in the heat.The original recipe called for baking for 25-30 minutes. Mine took 40 minutes, so I am listing a longer time range.I added the syrup in 3 pours/batches. The cake was literally floating in the pan, but it had fully absorbed the syrup by the next morning.