Semolina Cake

Photo: flickr user stu_spivack

Ingredients

12 eggs, separated at room temperature

cup sugar (175 ml)

cup fine semolina (175 ml)

2 tablespoons ouzo (30 ml)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (5 ml)

teaspoon salt (1 ml)

Syrup

1 cup sugar (250 ml)

1 cup water (250 ml)

1 tablespoon orange flavoured liqueur, optional

1 cinnamon stick

4 whole cloves, for syrup

1 juice of 1/2 lemon

cloves, for garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Butter and flour a 13 x 9-inch rectangular pan.

In a large stainless steel bowl, whip egg yolks with sugar on high until pale and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in vanilla and ouzo until blended. Reserve.

In another clean, dry bowl with whip attachment, beat egg whites until soft peaks hold, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Fold whites and yolks together gently. Then fold in semolina quickly, but gently until no traces appear. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake until tester comes out dry from middle of cake and centre is golden, about 25 to 35 minutes. Remove cake from oven and cool in pan for at least 30 minutes, or until knife will cut through without sticking before cutting and adding syrup.

Syrup:Make syrup while cake is baking. Combine sugar, water, cinnamon stick, 4 cloves and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to low heat and simmer just to thicken slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool while cake is cooking.

Cut cake into 12 squares or diamond pieces while still in pan. Garnish each piece with cloves. Pour cooled syrup into warm cake. Let stand for at least 15 minutes before removing slices from pan. Use cake lifter to remove pieces of cake from pan.

This is my cousin Voula's recipe for Revani Cake. For an extra flavour booster - I added a splash of orange liqueur to the syrup. Voula's trick is to this famous Greek cake: use only semolina flour and gently folded into the egg mixture. This makes for a light and fluffy cake with a slight crunch of semolina. Caution, neighbours will drop by if they smell it!