Before you cook
Background Recipe story & origin
Revani is Greek semolina cake soaked in lemon syrup, similar to Middle Eastern basbousa and Turkish revani. The dish has Ottoman origins, spreading throughout former empire territories. Greek revani typically uses semolina, flour, eggs, yogurt, and sometimes coconut, baked until golden, then drenched in hot lemon-sugar syrup. The semolina creates a distinctively grainy, dense texture. The syrup should soak through but not make the cake soggy. Regional variations across Greece add different flavorings or toppings. Revani is simpler than phyllo-based desserts, appropriate for home baking. The dish appears at gatherings, holidays, and zacharoplasteia throughout Greece. Revani represents the Ottoman culinary legacy in Greek cuisine and the Eastern Mediterranean's love of syrup-soaked sweets. Proper revani is moist and sweet, with discernible semolina texture.
Before you start Equipment you'll need
- baking pan — Provides structure for baking orange phyllo cake until golden and ready for syrup
Safety Safety & allergen notes
- Use caution with hot surfaces and oils.
- Ensure proteins are cooked to safe internal temperatures.
Non-negotiables Rules for success
-
Make the batter
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13 pan. Whisk 1 cup semolina, 1 cup flour, 1.5 tsp baking powder, a...
-
Bake until done
Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30-35 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
-
Make the syrup
While cake bakes, combine 2 cups sugar, 1.5 cups water, 1 strip lemon peel in a saucepan. Bring to b...
Prep Get set first
About 10 min of prep
- Prepare baking pan
This recipe takes about 40 minutes total.
Ingredients
Instructions
Unlock Grouped Step Actions
Plus members get tap-to-check action steps and live ingredient swaps for this recipe.
-
Make the batter
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13 pan. Whisk 1 cup semolina, 1 cup flour, 1.5 tsp baking powder, and pinch of salt. Beat 4 eggs with 1 cup sugar until pale. Add 1 cup Greek yogurt, zest of 1 lemon, 1 tsp vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients.
-
Bake until done
Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30-35 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
-
Make the syrup
While cake bakes, combine 2 cups sugar, 1.5 cups water, 1 strip lemon peel in a saucepan. Bring to boil, simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add 2 tbsp lemon juice.
-
Soak until softened
When cake comes out of oven, immediately pour hot syrup slowly over hot cake. Let soak at least 2 hours (overnight is better). Serve at room temperature.