Basbousa is a rich and flavorful egg-free semolina cake drenched in a cinnamon syrup and topped with crunchy almonds and shredded coconut. My recipe, passed down from my aunt Maha, will teach you how to make Egyptian basbousa at home!
Basbousa may not be as internationally famous as baklava, but for me, it’s pure childhood nostalgia. Growing up in Egypt, basbousa was a staple dessert at just about every celebration.
Basbousa and its cousins, Greek Revani and Lebanese Namoura, is typically sliced into a fancy diamond pattern with a perfectly placed nut in the center of each slice. If you’ve been here a while you know I don’t mess with all of that, but more power to you if you’d like to slice it the traditional way!
A few things make my basbousa recipe special. I use a combination of coarse and fine semolina flour, which makes the crumb perfectly soft but also sturdy enough to soak in the cinnamon-scented syrup without getting soggy. Rather than tuck a perfectly placed almond on each slice, I just sprinkle the top with toasted coconut and sliced almonds.
Either way, this basbousa recipe is sweet but not overly so, deliciously sticky, happily messy, and very easy to make. Its meant to be shared with friends and family on special occasions and I can’t wait to share it with you!
Table of Contents
What is in Basbousa?
Unlike Western-style cakes, basbousa doesn’t rely on eggs. Yogurt, milk, and butter hydrate the Semolina, creating structure for the cake, which creates a deliciously rich cake that soaks up the cinnamon syrup like a dream without getting soggy.
- Granulated sugar: Sweetens the cake and the cinnamon simple syrup.
- Plain Greek yogurt: Adds moisture and a tangy flavor to balance the sweetness.
- Semolina flour: I like to combine the softness of fine semolina and the satisfying texture of coarse, but you can use all coarse semolina. Use the rest of the bag to make Baghrir, tender semolina pancakes!
- Baking powder: Adds a bit of lift to the cake so it’s not overly dense.
- Milk: I like the lightness of 2% milk with this recipe, but whole milk also works.
- Butter adds richness and tenderizes the cake.
- Shredded coconut adds crunch and sweetness. Not all basbousa recipes include coconut–simply leave this off if you’re not a fan.
- Sliced almonds add another layer of texture and flavor. Feel free to substitute with other tender nuts, like crushed walnuts, pistachios, or pine nuts.
- Cinnamon stick adds a cozy, warming flavor and aroma to the syrup without overpowering.
- Lemon juice balances the sweetness of the simple syrup.
How to Make Basbousa
Though basbousa spends about 45 minutes in your oven, you’ll want to budget another hour of rest. This allows the cake to soak up all the delicious cinnamon simple syrup and become irresistibly sweet and tender. Here are the steps:
- Get ready: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
- Make the batter: In a large mixing bowl, use a rubber spatula to combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup yogurt. Add 1 cup coarse semolina, 1 cup fine semolina, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/3 cup 2% milk. Stir to combine. Finally, stir in 1/2 cup melted butter. Transfer the batter into the prepared cake pan and use a spatula to smooth the top.
- Bake the cake: Transfer the cake pan to the heated oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown. If you need to, you can put it under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes. You want it to have a little color, but keep an eye on it so the cake doesn’t burn.
- Meanwhile, prepare the syrup: While the cake bakes, make the cinnamon simple syrup. Set a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1 3/4 cups water, and 1 cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice. Let cool completely, then remove the cinnamon stick.
- Soak the cake: As soon as the basbousa is removed from the oven, pour the cool syrup on the hot basbousa. The pan may fill up with the liquid, and the cake may even float for a second, but it’s OK. Just let it absorb into the cake. Let the cake cool completely, as the syrup must be fully absorbed into the cake. For best results, let it sit for 1 hour before serving.
- Serve: To serve, you can either serve it from the baking pan or run a knife around the edges and invert the cake onto a plate. Top the cake with 1/4 cup each of flaked coconut and sliced almonds. Cut into 8 slices and enjoy!
What to Serve with Basbousa
Basbousa is meant to be shared with friends and family. Serve as an afternoon or after-dinner treat with Arabic Tea. For a caffeine-free option, serve with Greek mountain tea, or simply steep fresh mint leaves in hot water.
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Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup (214g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 cup (150g) fine semolina
- 1 cup (150g) coarse semolina
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/3 cup 2% milk
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1/4 cup sweetened shredded coconut or coconut chips
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
For the Cinnamon Simple Syrup
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Get ready: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
- Make the batter: In a large mixing bowl, use a rubber spatula to combine the sugar and yogurt. Add the semolina flours, baking powder, and milk. Stir to combine. Finally, stir in the melted butter.
- Bake the cake: Transfer the batter into the prepared cake pan. Use a spatula to smooth the batter and transfer the cake pan to the heated oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown. If you need to you can put it under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes. You want it to have a little color, but keep an eye on it so the cake doesn’t burn.
- Prepare the syrup: While the cake bakes, make the cinnamon simple syrup. Set a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sugar, water, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Let cool completely, then remove the cinnamon stick.
- Soak the cake: As soon as the basbousa is removed from the oven, pour the cool syrup on the hot basbousa. The pan may fill up with the liquid and the cake may even float for a second, but it’s OK. Just let it absorb into the cake. Let the cake cool completely, as the syrup must be fully absorbed into the cake. For best results, let it sit for 1 hour before serving.
- Serve: To serve, you can either serve it from the baking pan or run a knife around the edges and invert the cake onto a plate. Top the cake with the flaked coconut and sliced almonds. Cut into 8 slices and enjoy!
Notes
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- Alternative flour options: You can use 2 cups coarse semolina or 2 cups original Cream of Wheat enriched farina.
- For best results, let Basbousa sit for 1 hour before serving. This allows for the syrup to be absorbed into the cake.
Nutrition
*This post has recently been updated with new information for readers’ benefit.
We love almonds in my family and I love the texture your cake seems to have! Can’t wait to try it 😉
Do I have to wait 1 hour before serving?
Ideally, Alfredo. This allows the syrup to settle in…much better flavor and texture.
Hi,
I’m sure I’ve done something wrong. After 50mins, the top of the cake hasn’t turned the brown that you see in yours and everyone else who has tried the recipe. Would you know why?
I suck at cooking, that could be one reason ?
Excellent! I broiled the top a bit then added the almonds and coconut and toasted a bit more. Sooooooo stinkin good! The kids and I took spoons to it and my daughter declared the recipe had to be wrong if you were supposed to wait an hour!!! Thank you for a beautiful recipe!
Wonderful, Alison! Glad the kids enjoyed it too! Truth be told, it is so darn hard to wait a whole hour to eat it 🙂
You mentioned to mix all the ingredients and leave aside for little while for the flour to soak the butter…. How long is a good time to set aside for flour to soak in. Wont it become more dry if let to soak in before baking.
This shouldn’t take long at all. If you see the butter floating on top, just wait long enough for it to disappear into the flour
HI
Can this cake be made in spring foam pan?
Thanks you
Hi Anam, no I would not advice it. Among other reasons, you will be pouring syrup right on top of the hot cake, and it will seep through.
Hello! I m Egyptian but lives abroad and I can’t wait to try the basbousa for my family. I only have fine semolina, and I don’t have any other kind of flour but normal whole wheat flour and all purpose unbleached… Can I use 2 cups of fine semolina? How would that affect the receipe? Thank you 🙂
Mona, 2 cups of fine semolina will work. Coarse semolina is more traditional and yields better results in terms of the texture of basbousa. I would not use all-purpose flour, however. Enjoy.
Thanks for this recipe. I made it many times for my family and friends, it’s very delicious and successful.
Reem, so happy to hear it! This is one of my favorite desserts!
I love this cake, but being prediabetic, can I use a sugar substitute for the syrup? I do not like the tast of the
substitues, they are way to sweet. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Hi Juliette. I will be honest with you, I’ve only ever made this cake using sugar…I am not sure if there is a good substitute that tastes close enough, but if I come across one, i’ll circle back here and share.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe! I love making exotic recipes, and this was a delicious and easy way to express my interest in international baking. Here are my notes:
I sifted my semolina the way I would any flour (Bob’s Red Mill) and did all my mixing with a whisk or spoon – no mixer. When I added the butter, at first it appeared not to incorporate and pooled up, but after some gentle stirring and then 5-10 minutes to settle, it absorbed thoroughly into the batter and there was no trace. I greased my pan with unrefined coconut oil but did not flour it – 43 minutes achieved perfect doneness. The cake was unmistakably golden and very firm and sturdy when touched in the center. I was so proud.
Instead of a cinnamon stick, I used a scant ½ tsp ground cinnamon and let my paranoia bully me into cooking the simple syrup about 20 minutes because I wanted to make sure it had thickened. I put it in the fridge (then freezer) to speed the cooling while the basbousa finished baking and stirred it occasionally. It wasn’t completely cool when I poured it over the hot cake. The syrup had boiled down to exactly 2 cups and I poured it slowly over every bit of the cake – it sits on top of the cake before slowly absorbing, and it briefly appeared to flood the pan, but I assure you, it all soaks in! We let it sit for a few hours before slicing and even our pickiest eater had a slice!
Coconut and almonds provide a delightful crunch that really compliments this dense, delectably moist cake, but it is certainly flavorful enough on its own.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment and for sharing your feedback! So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I just happened to stumble upon this recipe and made it today. Actually it is getting baked in the oven as I’m writing this..I must say this is an awesome recipe which is quite easy to make if you have the ingredients at hand. I’m from Sri Lanka and we quite like some spices in our food. I just added a pinch of nutmeg to the batter and and cardomom to the syrup. Can’t wait to taste how good it is. Thanks Suzy!
Wonderful, Madhu! Thanks for sharing!
could i do crushed cinnamon instead of a stick of it? also i added rosewater and it tasts pretty good!
Sure a little cinnamon powder would work! Enjoy!
I don’t like yogurt, I am looking for a recipe for basbousa with milk, can I substitute the yogurt with milk?
Hi Cleveland, unfortunately i don’t have a recipe for Basbousa that doesn’t use yogurt. So sorry. Hope you find one.
You can substitute sour cream for yogurt. I am Lebanese & my mom has taught me this recipe. She always substituted yogurt for sour cream or vice versa. Good luck
What were the tweaks you mentioned that were changed from the original recipe
Hi Barbara, my recipe includes the coconut topping and the syrup is slightly different, but otherwise, it’s very true to original.
I just made it and its delicious. Thanks and I will definitely make it again 🙂
Awesome, Mithla! I am so glad you liked it!
If I don’t have coarse ground semolina, only fine-ground and farina, could I combine those two for 1 cup of each? I am not sure if the flavors would go well. Could I use 2 cups of just fine ground semolina?
Also – could you tell me the recommended fat percentage for the yogurt and milk?
Any that you prefer should actually work. I tend to stay in the middle at 2 % reduced fat milk and reduced-fat yogurt.
Yes, that should work. Or 2 cups of farina alone should work. I tend to like that better than using all fine semolina.
Hi, I would like to try out this recipe tomorrow. What does 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbspoons butter mean? I am new at cooking and is not that familiar with the terms used.
Hi Nihala! I am so sorry I just found your comment. The answer to your question is that you need to measure 1/2 cup of butter and add another 2 tablespoons of butter. Hope this helps.