About Semolina Cake
This rava cake is inspired by the Mediterranean or Middle Eastern semolina cake recipe, also known as Basbousa. Here is another version of basbousa that you might like. It is a delicate cake infused with saffron, pistachio, lemon, orange, honey, or rose syrup. Just like a perfect Meditteranean dessert. This Indian version of the semolina cake is egg-free and made with the best available local ingredients. In India, semolina is known as rava, suji, or sooji. Hence, the name rava cake.
Ingredients Required
Semolina – Semolina or suji (rava) is a by-product of durum wheat. It is not a gluten-free ingredient. Try to use a fine rava rather than a coarse one for this cake. Whole Wheat Flour – Adding whole wheat flour (gehun atta) gives this cake a nice structure and crumb. Curd – The thick, plain curd is an essential ingredient for this rava cake. It moistens the semolina. You can use plain, low-fat Greek yogurt as well. Milk – Soak saffron in the milk beforehand and use that golden milk for the cake batter. This way, the flavor and aroma of saffron are infused into each crumb of the cake. Ghee – The rava cake recipe requires ¼ cup of fat. You can use extra virgin olive oil, refined oil, coconut oil, melted butter, or ghee (clarified butter). The ghee gives the cake a beautiful aroma and rich taste, like an Indian sweet. Sugar – I use granulated white sugar. But you can experiment with castor sugar or honey syrup. Saffron – The golden color ad the sweet aroma in the rava cake comes from the saffron. You can skip it if you are not keen on the saffron flavor in a dessert. Cardamom – The green cardamom powder (elaichi powder) helps overpower the bland taste of the oil, curd, and semolina. Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Salt
For Glazing Cake
This suji cake’s richness and moistness come from the lemon syrup poured on top of the cake after baking it. I use a simple lemon and sugar syrup to soak the rava cake. And then top it with finely chopped or powdered pistachios. This extra step is going to give a beautiful-looking, flavorsome cake. No heavy whipping cream frosting is required. Only a 2-ingredient (lemon and sugar) syrup will do the job. You can combine lemon and orange juice, lemon and honey, lemon and rose water, or honey and rose water.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few of the most popular semolina cake variations:
My Tried & True Tips
Ingredients: Before starting the batter-making process, ensure all the ingredients are measured correctly per recipe directions and at room temperature. Do not add anything straight out of the fridge into the cake batter. Cake Batter: Do not whisk it for too long after adding the flour. Once all the ingredients are combined well, and the batter is smooth, keep your hands away from the batter. Baking Pan: You can bake this rava cake in a square or a round cake tin. Or, if you prefer, bake it like a lemon pound cake in a loaf pan. Whatever baking pan you use, make sure to grease it well with oil and line it with parchment paper. Do not pick a baking pan above 9 inches in size for this cake. Baking Time: In my 52 liters oven, this semolina cake takes 50 minutes at 180 degrees Celcius. I keep it in the middle rack of the oven. If your oven size is smaller, it might take 35 – 40 minutes to bake. Hence, check the cake after 30 minutes to get a better idea. To check the cake for doneness, insert a toothpick in the center of the cake. If it seems wet and gooey, the cake needs more time to prepare. Cover with aluminum foil if it is browning too much from the top. Removing Cake From The Pan: Allow the cake to sit in the baking pan for 5 – 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. Do not rush to remove the cake from the pan, as the hot cake might crumble and fall apart. Glazing: Allow the cake to cool down before glazing with lemon syrup. Glazing is always optional. But it adds an extra layer of flavor to the semolina cake.
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