Greek Ravani Cake
Ravani is a light, syrup-soaked semolina cake from Greece—tender, aromatic, and effortlessly elegant. Baked in one pan and finished with a warm honey-lemon syrup, it's perfect for afternoon tea or a simple dessert.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Servings
- 9
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 5g
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1.5 cups semolina flour
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup plain yogurt
- 1 cup honey
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh
- 1 whole cinnamon stick
- 9 whole whole cloves
Instructions
- 1
Set the oven to 350°F and wait for the indicator light or beep to confirm it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with a light coating of butter or oil, making sure the bottom and all four sides are covered.
- 3
In a small bowl, whisk together the semolina flour, all-purpose flour, and baking powder until no lumps remain.
- 4
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until the mixture looks light, pale, and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- 5
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully combined, about 30 seconds per egg.
- 6
Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir gently with a rubber spatula until just combined, about 20 strokes.
- 7
Pour in the yogurt and stir gently until just blended, about 15 strokes.
- 8
Add the remaining flour mixture and stir gently until no dry flour streaks remain, about 20 strokes—do not overmix.
- 9
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula so it is level.
- 10
Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
- 11
While the cake bakes, pour the honey and water into a small saucepan and set it over medium heat.
- 12
Add the cinnamon stick and stir gently for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 13
Remove the pan from heat and stir in the fresh lemon juice until blended.
- 14
Set the syrup aside to cool for at least 5 minutes—it should still be warm when you pour it over the hot cake.
- 15
Remove the baked cake from the oven and immediately pour the warm syrup evenly over the entire surface, allowing it to soak in.
- 16
Press one whole clove into the center of each of the nine cake squares (in a 3-by-3 grid pattern) while the cake is still warm.
- 17
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before serving, so the syrup fully absorbs.
Tools you’ll need
- 9-by-13-inch baking pan
- electric mixer
- large mixing bowl
- small mixing bowl
- small saucepan
- rubber spatula
- wooden spoon
- whisk
- toothpick
- oven thermometer (optional, to verify oven temperature)
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
