Eid reminds me of the virtues of patience, hope, and gratitude, even in these difficult times. Keeping this in mind, I’m sharing a simple cake recipe made of semolina and nuts. I hope my recipe will bring joy while you bake it in your kitchen.

Ingredients:

Sugar syrup:

• 2 cups of sugar
• 2 teaspoons rose water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Preparation of cake:

• 1 ½ sticks melted butter, plus extra for coating the baking pan
• ¾ cup of sugar
• 1 cup whole-milk yogurt (or sour cream)
• 3 cups semolina flour
• 2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 10-12 almonds, thinly sliced
• 10-12 pistachio, thinly sliced

Method:

Heat the saucepan over high heat, then add one cup of water and sugar. Boil until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir rapidly, reduce heat, and let it simmer until the mixture is thickened enough. Then add lemon juice and rose water, and mix well. Turn off the heat and set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl add yogurt and baking soda, and mix together. Ensure the mixture becomes double in size (in about 10 minutes).

Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a large baking dish and coat it with butter. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, add semolina, melted butter, and sugar. Mix them together until they are well combined. Then pour the yogurt mixture into the semolina mixture and mix well until they are completely combined. Carefully transfer this mixture into the buttered baking dish and press into an even layer by using a spoon. With a knife cut the surface in square-shaped pieces. Top each square piece with almond and pistachios. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until the cake turns golden brown. When the cake is done, drizzle the cooled sugar syrup over the cake. Allow the cake to cool for about 10 – 15 minutes.