Algerian Basboussa Semolina Cake With Syrup Food

BASBOUSA - SEMOLINA CAKES WITH SYRUP

Steps:

• Prepare syrup first.
• Dissolve sugar inwater in a medium saucepan.
• Add lemon juice and bring to a boil.
• Once the syrup begins to boil, add in honey.
• Reduce heat and allow to slowly boil for about 8-10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Lightly grease and flour a 9x12 baking dish.
• Cream together butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add eggs and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl, combine semolina, baking powder, and baking soda.
• Slowly add to butter and egg mixture.
• Stir in milk.
• Pour mixture into baking dish and smooth with spoon.
• Take a butter knife and make diagonal lines from left to right and complete to make diamond shapes.
• Place an almond in the center of each diamond.
• Bake for 25 minutes.
• Remove cake from oven and pour syrup over cake until no more can be absorbed.
• Allow to cool for 20 minutes.
• Serve immediately with a dollop of whipped cream.

ALGERIAN BASBOUSSA - SEMOLINA CAKE WITH SYRUP

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C Grease a large baking dish (approx. 11" x7").
• In a pan, place the sugar & water from the 'Syrup Ingredients', bring to the boil then simmer until you have a pale golden colour. Remove from the heat & stir in the lemon juice & the orange flower water. Set aside to cool, you can also store this syrup in the fridge until you need to use it.
• Place all the wet ingredients in a large bowl & using a hand mixer, mix until creamy. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time & mix well.
• Pour into your baking dish & level off the surface with the back of a dessert spoon or palett knife. With a small knife, score the surface into equal squares or diamonds & place a blanced almond in the centre of each square / diamond.
• Bake in the oven until golden - this will take approximately 30-40 minutes.
• Remove from the oven & cut through the scored squares / diamonds. Pour the syrup over the top & allow the Basboussa to soak up the syrup before serving. It is best to leave it for at least 2 hours for best results.

BASBOOSA - SUJI CAKE (ARABIC SEMOLINA CAKE)

Steps:

• For the syrup:.
• put all the ingredients together except for the rose water in a pot and bring to a boil.when it starts to boil, put in the rose water and let boil.it should look like syrup but should not be thick.don't let it reduce too much.let it sit while the cake is baking.
• for the cake:.
• while the syrup is put to boil, start the mixture of the cake.mix butter and sugar together(before doing this, make ure butter is very soft.cutting it up in small cubes always help).do not use a hand mixer or a cake mixer (this causes it to be too airy and we don't want this) but, use a fork or a potato masher.the butter and sugar does not need to be melted into each other.
• now add the eggs and the dried ingredients to this.lastly, add in the soured milk.mix into the mixture and pour into a buttered dish.it should only be poured 1 inch in height.
• put into oven at 325 degrees for 20 mins, then take out and cut into squares depending on the sizes you want and place back into oven for 5 - 10 mins.take out and pour sugar syrup all over the cake,making sure that the whole cake gets enough syrup.let cool and eat.
• the pistachios can be crushed and sprinkled over entire cake and an almond goes on each square.
• nb:it tastes alot better the next day so this can be made a day ahead.