cream of wheat cake

alAmira's Note:

Strange as it may sound, this cake tastes wonderful. I fell in love with a cake called basbousa while staying in Jordan, and couldn't find semolina anywhere here back home in the states, so I made up my own version using cream of wheat, when I remembered having cooked semolina the same as I did cream of wheat back home. Jordanians don't have cream of wheat. Funny how we miss things only when we don't have them.

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 28

• ½ cup butter , unsalted
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups cream of wheat , uncooked
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ cup plain yogurt (not low fat, use regular or it'll be too moist)
• blanched split almonds (garnish)

syrup

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 ½ cups water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (if using concentrated juice in a bottle, add a little water or it'll be too strong)

Directions:

1. Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla extract together in a medium bowl until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Sift the cream of wheat with the baking powder and baking soda two times, then fold into the butter mix alternately with the yogurt.
4. Grease a 8x12 inch pan and fold the batter into it evenly.
5. Arrange the almonds along the top so that each half will be in the center of a piece when it's cut, you should have about 4 almonds across and 7 almonds down.
6. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
7. Meanwhile, make the syrup by dissolving the sugar into the water in a small heavy saucepan over high heat until it begins to boil.
8. Add the lemon juice.
9. Turn the heat down to med-high, and boil rapidly about 10 minutes, then cool by standing the pan in a larger pan of cold water.
10. When the cake is cooled, cut as desired.
11. We usually make diamond shapes or squares, and serve by spooning the syrup over the cake.
12. If desired, thick whipped cream can be served over top instead, or a bit of honey syrup.

Reviews

[Chef #1515561]

Served this cake at one of our International Dinners last night and it was fantastic. Very moist, very dense. The secret is to make it the day before you plan to serve it. Everyone wanted the recipe.

[Chef #1288948]

it was so dry. i had to throw it away. it was bad.even the would not eat it. that is bad.

[Sappling]

This is a really tasty cake; kind of dry, but that's what the syrup is for. Try using orange juice or rosewater instead of lemon juice.