Textual Chef Textual Chef

Ravani

A traditional Greek semolina cake infused with lemon zest and soaked in a sweet citrus syrup. It features a tender, spongy texture that absorbs the fragrant syrup completely.

60 minMediumServes 12290 cal/serving

GreekDessertOven and StovetopVegetarianHalal-friendlyKosher-styleNut-FreeSoy-FreePork-FreeAlcohol-FreeShellfish-FreeLow-SodiumNightshade-Free

Cook this free in the appFree. No download, no account. The screen stays awake and each step can run its own timer.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 1.5 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 lemon peel strip
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, separated
  • 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup coarse semolina
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder

Instructions

  1. 1

    Combine 2 cups water, 1.5 cups granulated sugar, 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, and 1 lemon peel strip in a saucepan, simmer for 8 minutes, then set aside to cool.

  2. 2

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

  3. 3

    Beat 1/2 cup softened unsalted butter and 3/4 cup granulated sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy.

  4. 4

    Add egg yolks from 4 separated large eggs one at a time, mixing well, then stir in 1/2 cup Greek yogurt.

  5. 5

    Whisk together 1 cup coarse semolina, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, and 2 tsp baking powder, then fold into the butter mixture.

  6. 6

    In a separate clean bowl, whip egg whites from 4 separated large eggs until stiff peaks form, then gently fold into the batter.

  7. 7

    Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes until golden brown.

  8. 8

    Ladle the cooled syrup over the hot cake immediately after removing it from the oven, then allow it to absorb completely before slicing.

Cook this free in the appCooking it now? The app keeps the screen awake and times each step. Free, nothing to install.

Questions

How much time should I plan for Ravani?

As written, 60 minutes: 20 of prep and 40 of cooking. The longest single stretch is step 7 (35 minutes): "Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 minutes until golden brown."

What oven temperature does Ravani need?

For Ravani, the oven is set to 350 F (about 175 C) in step 2. The longest stretch at that heat is 35 minutes, in step 7.

Why fold instead of stir in Ravani?

Step 5 reads: "Whisk together 1 cup coarse semolina, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, and 2 tsp baking powder, then fold into the butter mixture." Folding keeps the air you just beat in. Stirring at step 5 would knock it out and the result would come out dense.

What can I use instead of Greek yogurt in Ravani?

The entry for Ravani calls for 1/2 cup Greek yogurt. In its place: Sour cream, measure for measure, or regular yogurt strained for an hour.

Can I make Ravani gluten-free?

Yes. The gluten in Ravani is 1 cup coarse semolina, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour. Swap the flour for a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking blend (where it only thickens a sauce, half as much cornstarch also works). Everything else proceeds as written.

Is Ravani vegan?

No, though it is vegetarian. What keeps it from vegan is 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt and 4 large eggs, separated. For fully plant-based entries, see the vegan dessert collection.

Serve it with

Cook this free in the app

Textual Chef is 4,530 plain-text recipes, free to read and free to cook from. No account, no paywall, no ads, no life stories. Open this one in the app and each quantity sits inside the step that uses it, so you read once and cook.

Every recipe is curated or public-domain sourced, written to one template and checked before it publishes. Nothing here is a scraped blog post.

Cook this free in the appNo download needed. It opens in your browser. The kitchen tools (planner, shopping list, pantry, import) are $5.33 a month billed annually; the first 30 days are free.

More Greek entries

All Greek recipes · All Dessert recipes · All Semolina recipes