A few months ago, I wandered past this Algerian semolina cake in the window of the Maghreb food store in Walthamstow, east London, and had to have it. There were 100 almond-studded diamonds sat in a large silver tray. Each small enough to eat in two bites, rich enough to feel indulgent and sticky enough to wish I had some napkins on my person. I wolfed down two pieces in less than a minute and knew immediately that I had to make my own.
Basbousa with orange and rose syrup
This is very rich, so cut into small slices and serve with napkins.
Prep 10 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 12
3 tbsp milled chia seeds
200ml oat milk
1 tsp ground cardamom (or 10 cardamom pods, seeds removed and finely ground)
1 ½ tsp baking powder
Zest and juice of 1 orange – you’ll need 6 tbsp juice for the syrup
75g desiccated coconut
200g caster sugar
300g semolina, coarse or fine
125ml coconut oil, melted
250g non-dairy yoghurt (I like Alpro soya)
1 handful blanched almonds
For the syrup
100g caster sugar
6 tbsp fresh orange juice – see above
1 tbsp rose petals
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Grease and line a 22cm cake tin with baking paper. Put the milled chia seeds and oat milk in a small bowl, mix until smooth and set aside.
Put the cardamom, baking powder, orange zest, desiccated coconut, sugar and semolina into a large bowl, pour in the melted coconut oil, and mix with your fingertips.
Add the yoghurt to the chia and oat milk, then fold into the dry mixture. Mix to a smooth batter, pour into the lined tin, smooth down with back of a spoon, then bake for 15 minutes.
Take the cake out of the oven and, working quickly, score five vertical lines into the top. Turn the cake 45 degrees, and score another five vertical lines, so you end up with a diamond pattern on the top. Press a blanched almond on to each diamond, then return to the oven for 30 minutes. Remove and leave to cool while you make the syrup.
Put the 100g caster sugar, orange juice and rose petals in a small pan and set it over a medium heat. Leave to boil for around three minutes, until clear and syrupy, then pour over the cake and leave to cool to room temperature before slicing and eating.
