Basbousa Mediterranean Middle Eastern Cake (with Asal syrup)
Ingredients
Ingredients for cake:
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla paste (or pure extract)
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1 tbs. orange zest
- 1 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 1/2 cups semolina
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup ground coconut
- 1/2 cup almond flour/mill
- 1 1/2 tbs. baking powder
- Oil spray
Ingredients for ‘Asal’ syrup:
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tbs. lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1/2-3/4 cup water
- 1 drop rose extract
- 1 drop zahar extract (optional)
Instructions
Instructions for cake:
- Whisk eggs and sugar to a light, fluffy mixture.
- Whisk “wet” ingredients (vanilla paste, ricotta cheese, canola oil, orange zest and orange juice) together.
- Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture.
- Add the semolina, almond mill and ground coconut and mix together.
- Transfer batter into an oil-sprayed 9’’x 9’’ x 2’’ cake pan.
- Score the batter into squares.
- Place a blanched almond on each square.
- In a preheated oven, bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes.
- After baking, cut cake using previously scored lines.
- Add a couple of rose petals to each piece.
- Brush the asal syrup onto the cake slowly and evenly.
Instructions for asal syrup:
- Combine sugar, lemon juice and water and bring to a gentle boil.
- Dissolve sugar and cook until small bubbles surface.
- When syrup becomes slightly sticky, turn heat off.
- Add one drop of rose extract and one drop of zahar extract.
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