**Revani** (Turkish Semolina cake in sugar syrup)

 I have always known it as the Turkish Syrup Cake, but lately as I was discussing with a friend she said, there are different opinions about it, the Greek claim that this is actually  their cake, and the Turkish say the same : )
I have always seen it at the Turkish shops and at family friends being baked as a daily sweet dish… so I name it the Turkish Cake as well : )

It is made with semolina and really a lot of sugar syrup : ) but tastes very good the next day! Don’t be worried if you see it drowned in the syrup,  all this is absorbed and makes the cake soft as a sponge.

The amount of sugar seems too much but it is desolved and is divided on the whole tray and is also left over,and honestly it’s not more than in the desi sweet dish or any chocolate we eat nonstop : )
So here’s how it’s made:

I am writing all in grams as the majority of us uses grams for baking.
 In the Turkish cousine and also in many Asian countries they often use cups as measurements  and i acually also do the same :) 
Making a dough for breads or cakes, cups are handy and quick to use:)

So here we go:

3 eggs
100 gram sugar
100 ml oil
50 gram yoghurt
150 gram flour
150 gram semolina
1 ½ tsp baking powder
Dash of salt

For the sugar syrup:
500 gram sugar
750 ml water
4-5 tbs fresh lemon juice

For Deco:
Desiccated Coconut
Grinded Almond
Pistachio
Or according to your personal choice

*First of all make the syrup and set aside to cool

*add the lemon juice in the syrup after you have removed it from the stove and it is a bit cold, not in hot syrup.


* first beat eggs till creamy, add in the sugar and beat more
*mix in the rest ingredients one by one and beat all on high speed at least 3 minutes
*spread in the greased baking tray, I used the oven baking tray to get nice even square pieces, you can bake it in a 28” round form too, 
but then the pieces are too huge to eat : )
*bake in a 170°C preheated oven for 25-30 minutes
*keep a check, till it is nice brown not dark, insert a tooth pick to check
*take out and let the cake cool a bit
*now cut pieces evenly or as you wish
*now start to pour the syrup slowly all over, best is to use a deep soup spoon, it will keep absorbing so pour again and again till you see it coming out from the bottom and the surface of the cake will seem wet
* it may seem soaked but don’t worry all will absorb in few hours
*we don’t serve this cake immediately, as then it is very sweet
*best is to make it 3-4 hours before you have to serve
* it was best the next day, light sweet but very spongy and soft
*the semolina gets soft yet you feel the coarse taste which tastes good
*after you have poured the syrup now sprinkle with coconut and grinded almonds and pistachios