29 Jan My Mum’s Cypriot Samali Cake
Enjoy this delicious Cypriot Classic, Samali Cake. Also known as Basbousa and Revani, it’s a super moist, crumbly, syrupy delight.
Recipe:
Syrup:
500g granulated sugar
500ml water
2 tbsp orange blossom or rose water
Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes till reduced by a third. Add orange or rose water and simmer for 10 more minutes.
Set aside to cool.
Cake:
500g semolina
150g light brown sugar
150ml veg or sunflower oil
200ml milk
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
Mastic – 2-3 pieces, ground to a powder
Blanched almonds to decorate
Preheat oven to 180*C/gas 5
Mix all the ingredients together, for about 3 minutes.
Place in a well oiled 9 inch cake pan
Bake in middle oven for about 45 minutes to 1 hour total
Take out half way through, cut in to rectangles or squares
Press in almonds to each piece
Place back in oven and finish baking till nice and brown and dried
Pour over cooled syrup
Leave to cool for two hours or overnight in fridge