This basbousa from The Vegan Middle Eastern Cookbook by Noha Elbadry is a vegan version of a semolina cake that started in Egypt and is now eaten across the Middle East. The name comes from an Arabic word linked to dredging, which refers to the way butter gets worked into semolina before the batter comes together. That step helps give basbousa its crumbly texture.

The cake uses medium-grind semolina, vegan butter, coconut flour, vegan sour cream, vegan yogurt, sugar, baking powder, and plant milk. Each square gets an almond pressed into the top before baking. Once the top turns golden, the hot cake soaks up syrup flavored with lemon juice, rose water, and blossom water.

Read more: Vegan Ladyfingers Biscuits

Serve this basbousa at room temperature as a sweet dessert for sharing. It has crisp golden edges, a tender semolina crumb, and a fragrant syrup that runs through each piece. The recipe makes 20 to 24 squares, so it suits gatherings, celebrations, or a Middle Eastern dessert spread.

Reprinted with permission from The Vegan Middle Eastern Cookbook by Noha Elbadry-Cloud. Page Street Publishing Co. 2023. Photo credit: Noha Elbadry-Cloud.

Bake your own basbousa

This vegan basbousa is an Egyptian semolina cake soaked with lemon, rose water, and blossom water syrup. It works well as a shareable Middle Eastern dessert.

Basbousa (Semolina Cake) with floral simple syrup and almonds

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Servings pieces

Ingredients

3 cups (500 g) semolina medium grind
1 cup (240 ml) vegan butter melted and cooled to room temperature, plus 1 tsp for greasing
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
½ cup (55 g) coconut flour preferably coarse
½ cup (110 g) vegan sour cream
½ cup (115 g) plain vegan yogurt
1 tsp baking powder
¼-½ cup (60–120 ml) plant milk, at room temperature
20–24 almonds

For the Simple Syrup

2 cups (400 g) sugar
3 tbsp (45 ml) lemon juice or more to taste
1 tbsp (15 g) vegan butter
1 tsp rose water
1 tsp blossom water

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the semolina and melted butter. Using your hands, massage the butter into the semolina until all the semolina granules look well coated/saturated. This ensures the basbousa has that lovely crumbly texture.
Add the sugar, coconut flour, sour cream, yogurt and baking powder to the semolina. Gently fold the ingredients in using a spatula until incorporated. Don’t knead, vigorously stir or overmix because that will cause the texture to harden once baked.
Add ¼ cup (60 ml) of milk and fold it in. If the mixture is too dry, add another ¼ cup (60 ml) of milk. The texture should be similar to corn bread, wet but holding together. Cover and place the mixture in the fridge for 45 minutes.
To make the simple syrup, combine 2 cups (480 ml) of water with the sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Whisk it together to dissolve, then place the pan over high heat. Once boiling, let the mixture reduce for 15 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the butter, rose water and blossom water. Whisk until the butter is completely dissolved. Set it aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13–inch (22 x 33–cm) cake pan with 1 teaspoon of butter.
Spread the chilled basbousa mixture evenly in the pan. Using a serrated knife, cut into either 20 or 24 squares. Press an almond in the center of each square. Bake the basbousa for 25 to 27 minutes, or until lightly golden at the edges. Broil for 5 to 7 minutes, or until top is crispy and golden.
Remove the pan from the oven and immediately ladle simple syrup onto it. Continue to add syrup one ladleful at a time until it stops being immediately absorbed. Serve the basbousa at room temperature with extra syrup on the side.

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