115Revani semolina cake

Method

Veroia-style semolina syrup cake. Cut into diamonds or squares, traditionally served with a scoop of kaimaki ice cream.

You will need

• stand mixer or hand mixer
• large mixing bowls
• silicone spatula
• 30 x 22 cm baking dish
• saucepan
• ladle

1. Start by preparing the syrup: combine 450g sugar, 500ml water, and 15ml lemon juice in a saucepan, bring to the boil, simmer for 5 minutes, and leave to cool completely. 8 min Ready when: clear, slightly thickened syrup
2. Preheat a conventional oven to 180°C (350°F) and lightly butter a 30 x 22 cm baking dish. 5 min · 180°C / 350°F
3. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. 4 min Ready when: holds glossy, stiff peaks
4. In a separate large bowl, beat the egg yolks and 150g sugar for 3 minutes until thick, pale yellow, and airy. 3 min Ready when: pale and voluminous
5. Beat the melted butter, Greek yogurt, lemon zest, and vanilla extract into the yolk mixture until thoroughly combined. 2 min Ready when: smooth, emulsified base
6. Whisk together the coarse semolina, flour, and baking powder, then fold them into the yolk mixture with a spatula. 2 min Ready when: uniform, thick batter
7. Gently fold the stiff egg whites into the batter in three batches using broad sweeping motions to preserve aeration. 3 min Ready when: fluffy and evenly blended with no white streaks
8. Pour the batter into the prepared dish, level the top, and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 35 to 40 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. 40 min · 180°C / 350°F Ready when: deep golden top and clean skewer
9. Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, pierce it all over with a thin skewer and slowly ladle the cold syrup over the piping-hot cake until fully absorbed. 5 min Ready when: hissing sound as syrup enters hot cake
10. Leave to cool completely for at least 3 hours, then cut into diamond-shaped portions to serve. 180 min Ready when: firm, chilled crumb drenched with syrup

Tap a step to tick it off.

Make ahead and storing

Best made a day in advance so the semolina grains fully swell and absorb the syrup.

Fridge for up to 6 days; keep covered.

Substitutions

• half fine semolina and half coarse semolina for coarse semolina. Creates a tighter, less crumbly texture preferred in some homes.
• corn oil or light olive oil for unsalted butter. Keeps the cake exceptionally moist when chilled.

Common mistakes

• Pouring hot syrup onto hot cake. This collapses the delicate egg-sponge structure and leaves the cake pasty.
• Overmixing after folding in the egg whites. Deflating the whites results in a flat, dense slab rather than an airy syrup sponge.

Regional variants

• Veroia revani made with sheep's milk butter for a distinct sharp aroma
• Thessalian revani topped with shredded desiccated coconut before baking

About the dish

Revani is a syrup-drenched semolina sponge cake that entered northern Greek cuisine during Ottoman rule and remains intensely celebrated in Macedonia, particularly in the city of Veroia where it holds legendary status. The batter relies on whipped whole eggs, semolina, flour, and yogurt, scented with lemon zest. After baking to an amber crust, the warm cake is slowly soaked in a fragrant, lemon-sharpened sugar syrup. The resulting texture is moist, granulated, and springy without turning dense or heavy.

Found in Macedonia, Thessaly, all of Greece. Cooked for sunday lunch, name day, everyday.

Cousins elsewhere

• Revani (Turkish). The dish is named after the 16th-century Ottoman poet Revani and was widely disseminated through imperial palace kitchens.
• Namoura (Levantine). A dense semolina tray cake soaked in spiced sugar syrup common across Syria and Lebanon.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

395 kcal · protein 7.2 g · fat 10.2 g (saturated 5.6 g) · carbohydrate 70.2 g (sugars 50.8 g) · fibre 1.1 g · sodium 133 mg

An estimate (summed from ingredient estimates) that varies with the exact ingredients. It is not dietary advice.

Written fresh by Epikouria editors from general culinary tradition. Recipe by the Epikouria editors. The northern Macedonian pastry shop tradition of Veroia, featuring separated eggs for maximum loft..