Semolina Cake

Basbousa

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Preparation info
  • Serves

    8-10

    • Difficulty

      Easy

Appears in
Egypt: Recipes and stories from an ancient land

By Suzanne Zeidy and Rawah Badrawi

Published 2026

  • About

Basbousa, an Egyptian national dessert, whose name is derived from the Arabic words “just a kiss”, is a delightful semolina cake sweetened with fragrant syrup, infused with rosewater, and embossed with almonds. Egyptians are not bashful about their love for sugar, heaping spoonfuls into their teas, and drenching desserts in extra syrup.