Desserts · The home kitchen
Hot Basbousa
Hot Basbousa is a warm semolina cake whose grainy, tender crumb welcomes a light floral syrup. This home version combines yogurt and butter with coarse semolina, then finishes the baked cake with orange blossom syrup while it is still hot. A short rest before baking hydrates the grains, and another rest afterward allows the syrup to distribute evenly. Cut the cake into modest squares so the sweet finish feels balanced after savory mezze or grilled dishes. The recipe is a home interpretation, with timing and measurements provided for one manageable square pan.
A home-style recipe inspired by our menu. Restaurant preparation, portions and ingredients may differ.
Make it at home
Hot Basbousa recipe
- Serves
- 8
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Rest / chill
- 30 min
- Total
- 90 min
Ingredients
- 200 g coarse semolina
- 180 g plain whole-milk yogurt
- 70 g granulated sugar for the cake
- 70 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 60 ml milk
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp tahini for the pan
- 16 blanched almonds, about 20 g
- 150 g granulated sugar for the syrup
- 150 ml water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp orange blossom water
Method
Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F. Brush a 20 cm square baking dish with the tahini.
Mix the semolina, 70 g sugar and baking powder. Stir in yogurt, melted butter and milk until evenly combined. Spread in the dish and rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine 150 g sugar, water and lemon juice in a saucepan. Simmer for 5 minutes after the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and add orange blossom water; let cool.
Score the cake surface into 16 squares and put one almond in the center of each. Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden and the middle feels set.
Remove from the oven and slowly pour the cooled syrup evenly over the hot cake. Let it absorb for 20 minutes.
Cut along the scored lines and serve two small squares per person while still warm. Rewarm later portions gently in a covered 150°C / 300°F oven for 8 minutes.
Make it your own.
- Use coarse semolina for a distinctly textured crumb rather than substituting ordinary flour.
- Give the cake its absorption time; syrup left on the surface needs time to move into the crumb.
- Tahini adds a subtle nutty note and helps release the base, but introduces sesame as an allergen.