Super airy and light, this semolina cake aka Greek Revani is flavored with coconut and lemon and moistened with light sugar syrup. A scrumptious and very refreshing cake.
There are mainly two variations of Revani in Greece. One with coconut and one without. The reason I love option no1 is that it's even more feathery and flavorful.
Revani which is also called Ravani (both are correct) refers to a cake that is made with semolina and it is soaked in syrup.
Which Type Of Semolina To Use For Making Revani?
Revani is made using fine semolina. Fine Semolina is something between coarse semolina and semolina flour. Coarse semolina is mostly used in desserts like Halva and Samali. While semolina flour is used for making fresh pasta, pizza, and traditional phyllo for pies (like my old-fashioned lamb pie).
How Is It Made?
To make this syrup-soaked cake, first, you beat the eggs and sugar using an electric mixer. Once the eggs get really thick, foamy, and whitish in color, you incorporate the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, semolina, desiccated coconut) as well as the lemon zest and vanilla extract.
Bake in a round 9-inch pan, it doesn't have to be a non-stick one, as long as you grease it well either with some butter or cooking spray. And once the cake is baked, which takes about 25 to 30 minutes, you drizzle the syrup all over on top (that you have prepared while the cake was baking). The syrup takes about 6-7 minutes to make. So it will have the time to sit for a few minutes before the cake is baked. This means both the syrup and the cake will be warm (warm syrup, hot cake). So the syrup will be absorbed well by the cake.
Semolina cakes tend to absorb syrup like a sponge absorbs water. As long as they're drizzled with it right as they come out of the oven. This reminds me of another cake I believe you would love to try, this Almond Semolina Cake With Greek Yogurt + syrup.
Cutting, Serving, And Storing...
You can cut it into small triangles and serve it with your tea or coffee. Or into larger individual pieces and serve as a dessert after your meal. You can serve this cake either at room temperature, which will make it taste really sweet. Because the warmer the syrup the sweeter its flavor. Or you can let it reach room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 3 hours and serve cold. This is my preferred way, as it enhances the lemon flavor, brings down the excessive syrup sweetness, and makes this cake so so so cool and refreshing.
As for storing this cake, you can either keep it in the fridge or at room temperature. The syrup preserves it really nicely and prevents it from spoiling. So either store in the fridge for up to a week, or in a cake tin or food container at room temperature for 3-4 days.
Recipe
Coconut Semolina Cake -Revani
Ingredients
For The Cake:
- 6 medium-sized eggs
- 100 grams / 3.5 oz sugar
- 100 grams / 3.5 oz all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 120 grams / 4.2 oz fine semolina see here
- 60 grams / 2.1 oz dessicated coconut
- 1 lemon zested
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For The Syrup:
- 400 grams / 14.1 oz water
- 400 grams / 14.1 oz sugar
- 1 lemon peel
- ½ teaspoon fresly squeezed lemon juice
To Coat On Top:
- 50 grams / 1.7 oz desiccated coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 170°C / 338°F.
- In a mixing bowl combine together all-purpose flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- Add the eggs to the bowl of your electric mixer and with the whisk attachment on, start beating over medium-high speed. Add the sugar into the eggs slowly in bits at a time. Beat until eggs become really airy, foamy, and thickened.
- Turn off your mixer. Incorporate the flour and baking powder mixture into the eggs in batches, using a sifter. And at the same time stir the eggs with a pastry spatula.
- Once all the flour is incorporated into the eggs, slowly mix in the semolina and then the desiccated coconut, lemon zest, and vanilla extract.
- Grease a 9-inch / 24cm round pan with butter or cooking spray.
- Add the cake batter to the pan and spread it evenly with a spoon.
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Until cake gets a nice golden color. Deep a knife in the center of the cake to see if it comes out clean to make sure the cake is ready. While the cake is getting baked, proceed on making the syrup.
To Make The Syrup:
- Add all of the ingredients for the syrup to a cooking pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then drop the heat to medium-low and simmer (uncovered) for approximately 6-7 minutes until it gets to a syrupy consistency. Then remove from heat and set aside.NOTE: You don't need to stir the syrup just shake the pot if needed. Stirring a syrup might lead to the sugar crystallizing. And if this happens, simply add just a splash of water and bring it to a boil again.
- Pour the syrup over the hot cake right as the cake comes out of the oven. Drizzle the desiccated coconut that's for coating on top. Let the cake reach room temperature before cutting and serving. You can cut into small triangles this way it yields about 10-12 small pieces or cut normally into 8-10 larger pieces. You can also serve this cake cold, by refrigerating the cake for 3 hours after it has reached room temperature. This cake served cold is even more tasty and light.
- Store leftover cake in a food container or cake tin for 3-4 days at room temperature or up to a week in your fridge. The syrup preserves the cake from spoiling.
Nutrition
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