A light semolina sponge cake made with butter and olive oil with the aromas of coconut and lemon and soaked in syrup.
One can find many variations of this traditional Greek recipe but Christina from Pieces of Greece shares her favourite version!
Coconut Ravani
INGREDIENTS
Syrup Ingredients:
2 cups water
2 cups white sugar
3 lemon wheels, sliced finely
1 small cinnamon quill
2 – 3 Tbsp rosewater (optional) or orange blossom water
Cake Ingredients:
6 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup caster sugar
250g butter, melted
1/4 cup light olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp vanilla essence
Pinch salt
2 cups self raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup fine semolina
3/4 cup dessicated coconut for cake batter
Extra dessicated coconut to sprinkle on cake
METHOD
- Make syrup first by adding all syrup ingredients to a small pot. Bring to boil over medium heat for 10 minutes only. The syrup should be runny, not viscous. Allow to cool completely.
- Preheat oven to 165 degrees Celsius. Lightly spray a 25cm x 30cm cake tin or 22cm round cake tin (not springform) with oil and gently dust with a tiny bit of semolina.
- Melt butter and combine with oil in a jug
- With mixer on medium speed, beat eggs and sugar for 5 minutes until sugar dissolves. Slowly add the butter/oil, followed by lemon juice and vanilla. Turn mixer off.
- Meanwhile, put salt, flour, baking powder, semolina and coconut in a separate bowl. Combine with spoon.
- Turn on mixer, low speed. Slowly add the flour mix to wet batter. Mix until combined well.
- Pour into cake tin. Bake on top oven shelf for 45-50 minutes on until golden brown surface.
- Remove cake from oven. Use skewer to prick about 15 holes, all evenly spaced. Using a ladle, slowly pour cooled syrup all over cake. Sprinkle with extra coconut.
- Allow cake to sit at room temperature for at least 3 hrs before cutting.
- Serve at room temperature.
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