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Basbousa (Semolina and Almond Drizzle Cake)

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Basbousa cut into squares in a round cake pan.
Photo by Haarala Hamilton

Basbousa, namoura, or hareeseh, whatever Arabic name you give to this semolina cake, is usually impossibly soft, dense, and flecked with texture throughout. Traditionally, the cake pan is greased with tahini, which forms a toasty crust encasing the semolina-flecked cake. I like to use a square pan, as I love the graphic nature of the grid-pattern made with the almonds, but an 8" round pan works just as well.

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