Lemon Syrup Cake

A while ago, I received a request for a syrup cake recipe. And quite rightly so: this simply could not be a Middle Eastern food website without a syrup cake recipe. This is one of Turkey’s favourite cakes: simple, but classic. If you prefer your cake with a little extra zing, grate the zest of 1 lemon into the cake batter and double the lemon juice in the syrup. Yum.

semolina syrup cake

yoğurt helvası

for the syrup:

3 cups water

3 cups sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

for the cake:

¾ cup semolina

1 ¼ cups flour

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup plain yogurt

desiccated coconut or chipped coconut, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Combine the syrup ingredients in a saucepan, and bring to the boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, then turn off the heat.

Add semolina, flour, sugar, baking soda and vanilla sugar into a large bowl and give a quick stir. Add the eggs and yogurt and beat until mixture is well combined.

Grease a baking tray, and pour the cake mixture in. Place in the oven on the bottom shelf and bake 25 minutes, or until the cake is cooked through.

Remove from the oven, and slowly pour over all of the syrup while the cake is still hot. Place in the refrigerated and chill.

To serve: cut into squares or diamond shapes, and sprinkle each piece with a little coconut.