This traditional Greek Revani is a fluffy semolina cake soaked in a fragrant lemon syrup. Yogurt keeps the crumb tender, while a touch of Chios mastiha gives the cake its distinctive Greek aroma. It is an easy tray-bake dessert that becomes wonderfully moist as it absorbs the syrup.
Revani – Easy and Fluffy Greek Semolina Syrup Cake
20
servings20
minutes50
minutes410
kcal1
hour10
minutesEasy and fluffy Greek Revani. A traditional Greek syrup cake with a soft, moist texture.
Ingredients
- For the Syrup
950 g 4 3/4 cup Sugar
900 g 3 3/4 cup Water
Peel of 1 Lemon
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
- For the Revani
6 6 Medium Eggs
350 g 1 3/4 cup Sugar
2 2 Vanilla Capsules
1 pinch 1 pinch Salt
2 2 Small Pieces Chios Mastiha, ground into a powder
200 g 1 cup Coarse Semolina
250 g 8.8 oz Butter or Margarine, at room temperature, or Sunflower Oil
200 g 7 oz Greek Yogurt
300 g 2 1/3 cup All-purpose Flour
15 g 3 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
Recipe directions
- For the Syrup
- Add the water, sugar, lemon peel, and lemon juice to a saucepan and stir.
- Place over medium heat and bring to a boil.
- Once it begins boiling, simmer for 6 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and set the syrup aside to cool completely.
- For the Revani
- Preheat the oven to 170°C / 340°F, using conventional top and bottom heat.
- Add the eggs and sugar to a large mixing bowl.
- Beat with an electric mixer for 5–7 minutes, until the mixture becomes pale, thick, and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla, salt, and ground Chios mastiha and mix.
- Add the butter and yogurt and continue mixing until combined.
- Add the coarse semolina, flour, and baking powder.
- Mix on low speed just until all the ingredients are incorporated into a smooth batter.
- Butter a 25 × 37 cm / 10 × 14½-inch baking pan.
- Pour the batter into the pan and spread it evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 50 minutes, until the Revani is well risen and golden.
- Add the Syrup
- As soon as the Revani comes out of the oven, gradually pour the cold syrup over the hot cake.
- Allow the cake to absorb the syrup completely before cutting it into portions.
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What Is Revani?
Revani is one of the classic syrup-soaked desserts of Greek cuisine. Its characteristic texture comes from semolina, which distinguishes it from an ordinary sponge cake and allows it to absorb a generous amount of syrup while maintaining its structure.
Depending on the region and family recipe, Revani can be flavored with lemon, orange, vanilla, or other traditional aromatics.
This version combines lemon, vanilla, and Chios mastiha, giving the dessert a particularly aromatic Greek character.
How to Serve Revani
Revani is best served after it has had enough time to absorb its syrup completely.
It can be enjoyed on its own, but it also pairs well with a spoonful of Greek yogurt or a scoop of vanilla or kaimaki ice cream.
For clean pieces, allow the syrup-soaked cake to settle completely before slicing.