top of page

Almond-Semolina Cake Soaked in an Orange Blossom Syrup

Shamali

Shamali, revani or basbousa is a luscious syrup-soaked almond-semolina cake popular throughout the East Mediterranean. I am sharing my mother’s recipe with origins from our Sephardic ancestors in the island of Rhodes. I love the lightness of the grainy semolina and ground almond cake infused with pine-scented ground mastic moist with the fragrant orange blossom syrup.

We like to serve shamali alongside a cup of Greek or Turkish coffee, or a herbal tea. I hope you will be inspired to create this cake. Kome kon gana!

Ingredients

For the syrup:

1 cup white sugar

1 cup clear honey

1 cup water

a 1in (2.5cm) strip of orange zest

¼ cup fresh orange juice

1 tsp orange blossom water


For the cake:

4 eggs, separated, at room temperature

¾ cup superfine (caster) sugar

½ cup light olive oil, plus extra for brushing

¾ cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

½ cup fine semolina

2 heaped tsp baking powder

6oz (170g) blanched almonds, finely ground

1 piece of mastic, ground with 1 tsp sugar

30 whole blanched almonds, toasted, for the topping

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease the base of a 10in (25cm) round cake pan with a little olive oil and dust with flour. Place the cake pan in the fridge.


  2. Prepare the syrup ahead: In a small pan over medium heat combine the sugar, honey and water. Bring to a simmer and continue to stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the orange zest, orange juice and orange blossom water and continue to simmer for 3 minutes. Discard the zest and let cool.


  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the egg yolks and sugar on high speed, until sugar dissolves and mixture is light in color. Beat in the oil.


  4. In a bowl combine the flour, semolina, baking powder, almonds and mastic.


  5. Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until soft peaks form. In two batches, gently fold the beaten eggs into the egg and sugar mixture. Then fold in the dry ingredients scraping down the sides of the bowl until well incorporated.


  6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway until the cake is golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven.


  7. Reduce the oven temperature to 300ºF (150ºC).


  8. With a large spoon gently drizzle the cooled syrup evenly over the entire hot cake.


  9. While the cake is still in the pan, cut into star-shape design (as in the photo).


  10. Press a halved almond onto the center of each diamond-shape.


  11. Return to the oven for 5 minutes for the syrup to be absorbed. Let stand for an hour for the syrup to soak in.


  12. Serve either from the pan or arrange the cut pieces on a cake platter with a dollop of yogurt or ice cream. Enjoy!


Stella’s Hints:

*To freeze: Seal cake in the pan with plastic wrap, freeze. To serve, defrost, make the hot syrup, cut cake into star-shape, spoon over with hot syrup, top with almonds.

*Shamali keeps well for a few days in an airtight container.

*Mastic spice from the island of Chios can be purchased at Greek delicatessens or online.

bottom of page