Greek Almond Cake in Spiced Syrup (Revani)

Updated post.

This is my Dad’s favourite Greek dessert recipe and makes for a perfect gift.

Photograph © Peter Broadbent

Ingredients

Syrup:
700g granulated sugar
350 ml water
1 orange, juice and zest
1 lemon, juice and zest
1 cinnamon stick, 3cm long
6 cloves

Cake:
225g unsalted butter plus a little extra to grease the tin.
225g caster sugar
6 medium eggs, organic or free range separated
240g plain flour
240g fine semolina
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
150 ml orange juice
125g almonds, finely chopped
zest of 1 orange
2 vanilla pods
a pinch of salt
2 tablespoons brandy

For sprinkling:
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Method:

Making the Syrup: Combine all the syrup ingredients in a heavy based saucepan. Bring to the boil and leave to simmer for 5-6 minutes until slightly thick. Remove the flavourings and allow to cool.

Making the Cake: Preheat the oven to 180 °C, gas mark 4. With an electric mixer or by hand beat the butter with the sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy for about 5 minutes. Add the egg yolks to the mixture or one at a time, beating very well after each addition. Sift the flour, semolina, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder together in a large bowl. Add this gradually to the mixture alternating with the orange juice, beating continuously, also adding the finely chopped almonds and orange zest to the bowl and scrape in the seeds of the vanilla pods. Mix these well in the cake batter.

Beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt in a bowl to make a meringue and fold this lightly into the batter. Pour the cake mixture into a lightly buttered 25×35 cm cake tin and bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove the cake from the oven and place the cake tin on a rack. Add the brandy to the cold syrup and pour the syrup over the hot cake and allow to cool down as the syrup soaks in. When cold, use a sharp knife to cut the cake into diamond shapes. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve.

Recipe ©George Psarias.