"SWEET ON YOU"

One woman's insight into her daily life and some 'adventures'.............cooking, collecting, travels etc. With a lil' bit of this and that...........

Friday, January 28, 2011

Revani.....a Turkish Sponge Cake

This is a peek outside my window........lots of snow and extremely freezing weather. I love the look of "Winter Wonderland", but it can be back breaking with all that shovelling.



Revani
This is a Turkish sweet cake made of a semolina soaked in syrup. My husband who is of Turkish background told me his Mom said it was named after a Turkish poet "Revani" from the Ottoman Empire during the 16 th century.
He remembers his Maternal grandmother baking this cake in bigger pans and him trying to sneak a few spoons of the sweet syrup before it was poured over the cake. I have his family recipe but it was written by guessing the measurements as they baked everything in the old dasy by memory..........but this recipe is the closest I've made and tastes equally the same.
.......this revani cake is like all Turkish cakes soaked in syrups......... it is a pale yellow colour ..........
with a golden brown top. it is light, fluffy, so moist and sweet that it will satisfy any sugar craving you have.
The lemony syrup permeates the cake giving it a fresh taste that is not too overpowering but adds a freshness.
Revani
Adapted from TurkishCookbook.
Ingredients;
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1/2 cup semolina
1 Tbsp. baking powder
2/3 cup flour
Syrup;
2 cups water
1 cup + 2 Tbsp. sugar
juice of a lemon
Grease an 8" x 8" square cake pan.......Preheat oven to 375 deg. F.
Combine all syrup ingredients, bring to a boil and let it simmer for a few minutes and take off heat and set aside.
Use a hand mixer for the sugar, Extra virgin olive oil, vanilla and eggs. Mix till well combined.
I another bowl mix together the semolina, flour and baking powder til combined.
Add to wet ingredients and use mixer to combine all together.
Pour into greased cake pan.........and bake for 25 minutes. ***My oven it took 30 minutes, check after 25 minutes if toothpick comes out clean.
Cut Revani immediately into 9 squares........and pour with a tablespoon syrup slowly making sure it is absorbed equally.
This cake is also served with a dusting of dessicated coconut flakes [which I didn't have that day] or ground pistachios. Also vey yummy with ice cream or clotted cream, whatever you desire.
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Thanks for stopping by and greatly appreciate it and have a great weekend!




9 comments:

  1. That looks very moist. My hubby pours milk on my cake whenever he eats it...so you know I don't bake very often. I might try this one though.

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  2. Thanks Donnie.....I got a chuckle because everytime I bake a cake that is not syrupy soaked my husband pours milk over it also.

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  3. I have never heard of Revani, but it looks delicious. I live in a small town and don't have access to ethnic grocery stores. My daughter (4th grade)is in a district spelling bee this week and just prior to looking at your blog we had studied Italian origin words. I just pointed out to her the semolina in the Revani recipe and the antipasto. Just a funny conincidence. Glad you are participating in FF. Joni

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  4. Oh, my, what a moist cake...and the blackberries are the perfect garnish :) Thanks for another winner, Erica!!!

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  5. This looks very good, Erica. What is semolina?....Christine

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  6. I love the view outside your window. Sometimes I miss the snow so much. Back in Ukraine, we always had lots of snow, but here in California we have none ;-)
    The cake looks sooooo delicious!

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  7. Erica, this is wonderfull. Picture seems yummy.
    Serving with frozen fruits is also very creative. I would like to taste it!

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  8. Erica this looks wonderful. I love this cake!
    I will have to try it!

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  9. I just made this. Wow. Really good ans light. Thanks for sharing. Regine

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