Revani (Ravani) cake recipe (2024)

Published: Jul 20, 2020 by Amira · This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

A classic Mediterranean semolina cake drenched in lemon infused simple syrup and topped with coconut flakes. A light and easy everyday cake.

Total time 40 minutes

Jump to Recipe

Revani cake is a classic delightful semolina cake found in the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern region. Revani / Ravani and sometimes called Rawani is a delightful cake soaked in light simple syrup which can be infused however you want.

Although Revani is a semolina cake it is not to be confused with basbousa. Revani has eggs and flour and those two do not exist in classic basbousa recipe. Almost every pastry shop in Egypt makes this delicious cake. Revani cake is widely available in Greek, Turkey, Egypt, and many other countries in the region.

Revani ingredients:

Flour: we will need all purpose flour.
Semolina: fine semolina, some people like using farina instead. check out the basbousa recipe for the difference between farina and semolina.
Eggs.
Sugar : not much just half a cup as we will have sugar in the syrup as well.
Baking powder as the leavening agent.
Salt, use any salt you have.
Vanilla extract.
Butter, we will melt the butter and you can use oil if you would like to.

How to make Revani cake

In the bowl of your mixer, add eggs and sugar then beat well until the mixture gets pale and fluffy.
Pour in melted butter and vanilla extract then beat again to mix.
In a separate bowl, add flour, semolina, baking powder and salt then mix well.
Gently incorporate the dry ingredient using a spatula in three batches. Pour cake batter into a prepared 9 inch pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.
Take the cake out, poke several times using a toothpick. Pour the cooled syrup over while it is still hot. Let the cake rest for a couple of hours.
Invert the cake over your serving platter and decorate top with coconut flakes.

Tips:

Syrup needs to me made ahead of time so it will cool completely. If you forgot then simply place the saucepan of hot syrup in a larger bowl filled with iced water. This should cool the syrup quickly.
Do not simmer the syrup too long as we do not want it to thicken.
It is more common in Egypt to flavor Revani with only vanilla. You can add a teaspoon of almond extract, use lemon zest or orange zest to flavor the cake more.
Some people like using farina instead. check out the basbousa recipe for the difference between farina and semolina.

If you like this recipe do not forget to give it a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ star rating and attach a photo of your finished dish. It is always a pleasure of mine to see your photos and check your own take of the recipe. Thank you.

Revani cake

A classic Mediterranean semolina cake drenched in lemon infused simple syrup and topped with coconut flakes. A light and easy everyday cake.

4.66 from 87 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Mediterranean, Middle East

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 16

Calories: 171.4kcal

Author: Amira

Ingredients

For the syrup:

▢ 1 cup granulated sugar.
▢ 1 ½ cup water.
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
▢ Juice of one lime.
▢ ½ cup honey.

For the cake:

▢ 4 large eggs at room temperature.
▢ ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
▢ ¼ cup (55g) butter, melted.
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract . Note1
▢ ¾ cup (125g) fine semolina flour. Note2
▢ ¾ cup (100g) all-purpose flour.
▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder.
▢ ¼ teaspoon salt.

For garnish:

▢ ½ cup shredded sweetened coconut.
▢ ½ cup ground pistachios.

Instructions

Make the syrup:

In a medium saucepan, combine the syrup ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
Set aside to cool completely.

Make the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
In the bowl of your standing mixer, add eggs, sugar and whip on high until it triples in volume and gets pale yellow and fluffy. 4-5 minutes.
Add butter, vanilla extract and mix.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, semolina, baking powder and salt.
Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients working in batches.
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Poke the cake several times using the toothpick then pour the cooled syrup over.
Allow the cake to cool down and rest for 1-2 hours before inverting on a serving platter. Decorate with coconut flakes and pistachios if desired.

Notes

Note1: You can also add a teaspoon of almond extract, use lemon zest or orange zest to flavor the cake more.

Note2: Some people like using farina instead. check out the basbousa recipe for the difference between farina and semolina.

Please check the nutrition disclaimer policy.

Vitamins are in percentage value. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Nutrition

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This recipe originally published May 2013. Updated on July 2020.

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About Amira

I’m overjoyed that you have stopped by! My hope is to introduce you to new flavors, creative ways and fresh takes on favorites. To help you create food with style that will bring everyone around your kitchen table. From weeknight dinners for crazy busy days to desserts with the “wow” factor, and classic comforts from the Mediterranean. One thing in common, they are all recipes that have been tried and tested by family and friends.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Bougainvillian
April 24, 2024 at 1:41 pm
I’ve made Revani before and thought I would give your recipe a go. It was easy to prepare and I followed the recipe exactly, using fine semolina. Unfortunately this cake did not turn out with the light fluffy texture I expected. I measured all ingredients carefully. The texture of this cake was quite gritty, different to what I expected. Where did I go wrong with this recipe ?
Reply
- Amira
  April 24, 2024 at 5:46 pm
  Hello Bougainvillian, do you mean it was crumbly and did not hold its shape?
  Reply
Lara
October 31, 2023 at 12:35 pm

Tried this today, absolutely love it. I didn't have a lime or lemon handy so I had to do without. Fortunately the flavor from the vanilla and honey was more then enough, delicious.
I also really like the texture, never had a cake made with semolina before and found it to be very enjoyable.
Definitely gonna make this again very soon, thank you so much for this recipe!
Reply
Charlene
June 02, 2023 at 10:27 pm

The cake had a nice flavour, the texture was strange though. It was kind of like a cornbread which I did not expect.
It was quick and easy to make but I don’t think I would make it again.
Reply
- Amira
  June 05, 2023 at 12:08 pm
  Yes Charlene, this is exactly what semolina does, just like what you've described like a cornbread. Thanks for trying the recipe.
  Reply
  - Jeannie
    August 17, 2023 at 10:09 am
    Amira, thanks for the recipe. Can I make ahead and freeze this cake ?
    Reply
Mlh
February 24, 2023 at 9:36 am
I’m going to make this tomorrow but there is no mention of pan size. Do I use a 13x9? 8x8? 9”round?
Reply
- Mlh
  February 24, 2023 at 9:44 am
  Never mind
  Found it
  Reply
Susan Boze
June 09, 2022 at 7:39 am
I can't wait to bake this recipe it will be a great addition with my Greek salad and spinach pie OH MY.
Reply
Terry
October 24, 2021 at 1:29 pm

Do we mix the dry ingredients to the wet ones with spatula or continue with the mixer. ? Thank you.
Reply
- Amira
  October 26, 2021 at 8:22 pm
  Terry, gently incorporate the dry ingredient using a spatula in three batches. Hope this helps
  Reply
  See Also
  Classic Greek Salad (Horiatiki Salad)
Lauren
July 29, 2021 at 8:35 am

I made this recipe last night for some friends. I substituted the semolina with almond flour, only poured half the quantity of the simple syrup over the cake (I don’t like things too sweet), added almond extract to the cake along with the vanilla, and fir cake topping used unsweetened coconut flakes and almond slivers. The cake delicious and everyone loved it! It was a true hit if the dinner party! I will be making this again. Thank you!
Reply
- Amira
  August 05, 2021 at 11:50 pm
  Such a delicious version Lauren, I am definitely going to try it. Tanks for sharing.
  Reply
Elaine
April 13, 2021 at 7:17 pm

I made this recipe following it closely. Served it the same day and it was well received. Texture was lovely, flavors very nice...a good cake. I froze the remainder. Several weeks later I took it out of the freezer in the morning and defrosted a quarter of the cake, wrapped on the counter top. Served it after dinner and it was AMAZING! The cake was tender, the honey was sweet but not too sweet balanced beautifully with the tartness of the lemon. The pistachio nuts finely chopped along with toasted sweetened coconut added additional dimension. Heaven! Thank you! Lesson learned: Make ahead of time and let it marry!
Reply
- Amira
  April 17, 2021 at 12:05 am
  Oh this is such a great discovery Elaine, thank you so much for sharing it with us. Glad you liked it.
  Reply
Michelle
March 11, 2021 at 10:25 pm
Can you make this cake the day before
Reply
- Amira
  March 12, 2021 at 10:48 am
  Revani cakes stay well in the refrigerator so I guess yes and make sure to cover it.
  Reply
Patricia Ravary
January 23, 2021 at 11:33 am

Was so excited to make this..wouldn’t come out if my baking dish and it tore up...
Reply
- Terry
  October 24, 2021 at 1:39 pm
  
  Shall we add the zest of one or two lemons, how many tbl spoon or tspoon. Thank you.. .
  Reply
Yiota Makris
December 03, 2020 at 12:44 pm

Wonderful cake!
Reply
- Amira
  December 07, 2020 at 11:57 am
  Thank you!
  Reply
Irene Philip
December 01, 2020 at 9:11 pm

Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made a few modifications to it. I didn't have time to make simple syrup, so I poured 3/4 can of condensed milk on the cake instead. My husband and I loved it! Of course, the cake was drier than the usual flour cake, and since I poured a thicker syrup on the cake, it was still pretty dense. However, I enjoy dense cakes, and this cake was delicious!
Reply
Marcia B
October 30, 2020 at 12:17 pm

This cake is amazing. My husband loved it and so did my 5 years old. We had it for breakfast and after dinner. He asked me to make it again for his work party.
Reply
- Amira
  October 30, 2020 at 10:59 pm
  This is great, I am so happy that your family loved it. Thank you so much for your feedback.
  Reply
Leanne
July 31, 2020 at 8:24 pm

I made this cake for dessert tonight. Came out delish. Thanks for the recipe! ☕️
Also made your kahk recipe
Happy Eid✨
Reply
- Amira
  August 01, 2020 at 11:04 pm
  Leanne, your cake looks amazing and I noticed the kahk in the back too :). So happy you liked them. Happy Eid to you too.
  Reply
Rana
November 28, 2016 at 12:37 am
Rawani is a Yemeni traditional dessert, NOT Egyptian!!!
Reply
- Amira
  November 28, 2016 at 9:27 am
  Actually Rawani is even Greek :), anyways it is a delicious cake whether it is Egyptian, Greek or Yemeni. It is very popular in Egypt, may be it got there through traders from Yemen or Greece. Thanks.
  Reply
Krista
August 17, 2016 at 4:45 pm
What size pan do I use for this cake?
Reply
Nami | Just One Cookbook
June 05, 2013 at 10:09 am
I have a weak spot for coconut and this cake definitely make me drool! Although I haven't heard of this name of cake before, I'm really interested to tasting it! What a pretty dessert!
Reply
- Amira
  June 14, 2013 at 5:20 pm
  Stick around for more coconut recipes Nami.
  Reply
Charles
June 01, 2013 at 3:58 pm
Oh, I think I've had this before... I had no idea what the name was though. I loved it though, it's so good. With the texture of the semolina inside, for me it felt really nice. Was the kind of thing I could just sit and eat non-stop, haha! Thanks for sharing Amira... now I know the name of this wonderful cake!
Reply
Liz
June 01, 2013 at 7:45 am
I've never heard of this cake, but it sounds scrumptious...love the addition of syrup and the coconut! YUM!
Reply
Denise Browning@From Brazil To You
June 01, 2013 at 5:28 am
Amira: This cake is absolutely beautiful...I love the fact that it is soaked in syrup, making it moist and topped with coconut, one of my favorite ingredients.
Reply

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