I can’t believe it was a year ago when I was literally LABORING on Labor Day. On Sept. 8th, 2020, Farah graced the world and our lives with her presence. She’s quite a firecracker and we love her soooo much! It also happens to be my mother’s day on Sept. 5th, so I guess you could say it’s all in the family??!!?? LOL. This year for their birthdays, I’ve decided to make the very special and aromatic basbousa with cream cake, or as I refer to it: Pistachio cake. While this is a new take on the the traditional version, it’s very different with how I assemble each part. Similar to my beautiful daughter, this cake is a kick off of the old classic. Hope you enjoy! HAPPY BIRTHDAY FARAH!!!
This cake has an ancient feel to it based on it’s aroma alone. I call it the pistachio cake because I remember eating it topped with crushed pistachios, although there are no pistachios listed as an ingredient in the cake- they are completely optional. The aromatics in this cake make it really hard to turn away and transport you into a distant land. If you find yourself never having baked with orange or rose waters, you can find them at your local middle eastern grocery store or purchase directly online. The orange and rose waters are very pungent so a little goes a long way in terms of baking, but sure not to overdo it.
For the cake
1 cup flour
1 cup semolina
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup yogurt
½ cup melted butter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon orange blossom water (or vanilla extract)
3-4 tablespoons crushed pistachios for garnish
For the Cream
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons cornstarch
Simple Syrup
1 ½ cup sugar
2 cups water
1 teaspoon rose water
1 tablespoons lemon juice
Prepare and make simple syrup first. Mix all ingredients for simple syrup in a saucepan and bring to a boil for approximately 5-7 minutes. Set aside the simple syrup to cool. Next you will need to make the cream. Mix milk, cream and cornstarch together on the stove over medium heat stirring constantly. Stir until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil and remove from the heat, covered. This is where my recipe differs from the traditional basbousa recipe, I will not bake the cream inside of the cake. For the cake, mix together semolina, baking powder, flour, sugar and coconut flakes in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix the yogurt, eggs, butter and orange blossom water together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well with a whisk until no lumps remain. Grease a springform pan and pour in the cake batter. Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove cake from the oven to cool. Once cooled, slice the cake in half with bottom and top layers. Remove the top layer and pour in cream and spread evenly. Place the top layer of cake on top of the second layer of cream inside of the pan. With a skewer, poke holes in the cake. Pour over the simple syrup and let it soak into the cake. Place into the refrigerator for the cake to set for approximately 1 hour or overnight. Top with crushed pistachios if preferred.
