Pandan Basbousa with Coconut
A tender, golden semolina cake scented with grassy-sweet pandan and toasty coconut, baked in a pan and soaked in a pandan-infused syrup. It marries the classic Middle Eastern basbousa with Southeast Asian flavors for a moist, fragrant, lightly green-tinted treat.
- Prep
- 39 min
- Cook
- 48 min
- Wait
- 1 hr 5 min
- Total
- 2 hr 32 min
- Makes
- 1 9×13-inch cake (20 diamond-shaped pieces)
Steps
Before you start
- Make the syrup first: it must be fully cool when the cake comes out of the oven. Hot cake plus cool syrup is the key to a moist, not soggy, basbousa.
- Use coarse or medium semolina (sometimes labeled 'semolina' or 'farina' in Middle Eastern shops). Fine semolina or semolina flour gives a denser, gummier cake.
- Use unsweetened desiccated (finely shredded) coconut. Sweetened flakes will make the cake too sweet and wet.
- Pandan extract strength varies by brand. The amount here suits a typical liquid extract; if yours is very concentrated paste, start with half and taste the batter's aroma.
- Take the eggs, yogurt and coconut milk out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead so the melted butter doesn't seize.
Simmer pandan syrup
- In a medium saucepan, combine the syrup sugar, water and knotted pandan leaves.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring just until the sugar dissolves.
- Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook, undisturbed, for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and 1 tsp pandan extract.
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Ready when: Syrup is clear, lightly green, smells grassy-sweet, and slightly coats a spoon (it will thicken as it cools).
Tip: Don't stir while simmering, which can cause sugar to crystallize.
Strain and cool syrup
- Press the pandan leaves against the pot with a spoon to squeeze out their flavor, then remove and discard them (or pour the syrup through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof jug).
- Set the syrup aside at room temperature to cool while you make the cake.
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Ready when: Syrup is at room temperature or just barely warm by the time the cake is baked.
Tip: For faster cooling, set the jug in a bowl of cold water.
Heat oven, prep panOven 350°F / 175°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C).
- Brush the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking pan generously with the melted coconut oil.
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Ready when: The whole pan surface is glossy with oil, including the corners.
Tip: Don't skip the corners; semolina cakes stick easily.
Mix dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk together the semolina, desiccated coconut, cake sugar, baking powder and salt for about 30 seconds, until evenly combined and no clumps of baking powder remain.
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Ready when: Mixture looks uniform with no lumps.
Whisk wet ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth, then whisk in the yogurt, coconut milk, 2 tsp pandan extract and the melted butter until fully blended and uniformly pale green.
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Ready when: Mixture is smooth and even in color, with no streaks of yogurt or butter.
Tip: If the butter is hot it can scramble the eggs; let it cool until just warm to the touch first.
Combine and rest batter
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula just until no dry pockets remain.
- The batter will be thick, like a soft, spoonable dough.
- Let it rest for 20 minutes so the semolina absorbs the liquid and swells.
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Ready when: Batter thickens and holds a soft mound on the spatula.
Tip: Don't overmix; it can make the cake tough.
Spread, cut, and top
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
- With damp hands or an offset spatula, press and smooth it into an even layer to the corners.
- Using a sharp knife dipped in water, cut the batter into 20 diamonds: make 4 evenly spaced lengthwise cuts, then 5 diagonal cuts across.
- Press 1 almond into the center of each diamond.
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Ready when: Surface is flat and level, with clear cut lines reaching the bottom of the pan.
Tip: Cut before baking. Once baked, the cake crumbles when cut cleanly.
Bake until goldenOven 350°F / 175°C
- Bake in the 350°F (175°C) oven for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan once at the halfway point, until the edges are golden brown and pulling slightly from the sides of the pan and the top is lightly golden.
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Ready when: A toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed.
Tip: If the top browns too quickly before the center is set, tent loosely with foil.
Soak with cool syrup
- As soon as the pan comes out of the oven, re-trace the cut lines with a knife if they have closed up.
- Slowly and evenly spoon or pour about 1 cup (240 ml) of the cooled pandan syrup over the hot cake, a little at a time, letting it absorb.
- Use all of the syrup; the cake will look very wet at first.
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Ready when: Syrup pools briefly, then is absorbed, leaving a glossy surface.
Tip: The syrup must be cool; hot syrup on a hot cake makes it soggy.
Cool and absorb
- Leave the cake in the pan at room temperature for at least 45 minutes, until the syrup has been absorbed through the cake and it is cool enough to handle.
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Ready when: Cake is moist throughout, with no syrup pooling at the edges, and firm to the touch.
Tip: Resist cutting early; warm basbousa is fragile.
Re-cut and serve
- Run a thin knife along the cut lines again to separate the diamonds.
- Lift out with a small offset spatula and serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
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Ready when: Pieces lift out cleanly with a golden underside.
Good to know
Tips
- Cutting the batter into diamonds before baking gives clean, neat pieces.
- A good basbousa should be moist but not wet: pour cool syrup over hot cake, and add it slowly.
- If you'd like a deeper golden top, broil for 1 to 2 minutes at the end of baking, watching closely.
- Pandan extract can be strong and slightly bitter if overdone; measure carefully.
Make ahead
"Bake and soak the cake up to 1 day ahead; cover the pan tightly once fully cool and keep at room temperature. The flavor deepens overnight. The syrup can be made up to 1 week ahead and refrigerated; bring to room temperature before using."
Storage & reheating
Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving, or warm individual pieces for 10 seconds in the microwave. Freeze, tightly wrapped in layers with parchment between pieces, for up to 2 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.
Substitutions
- pandan extract → Blend 6 fresh pandan leaves with 3 tbsp of the coconut milk, strain, and use the liquid. Gives a subtler, fresher flavor and paler green color. Omit extract in the cake and reduce the other coconut milk slightly if the batter looks loose.
- plain whole-milk yogurt → Sour cream or labneh thinned with a splash of milk. Use the same weight; the batter should stay thick and spoonable.
- unsalted butter → Melted coconut oil or ghee. Use the same amount. Ghee adds a nuttier flavor; coconut oil emphasizes the tropical profile.
- whole blanched almonds → Toasted coconut flakes or pistachios. Press pistachios in as you would almonds; sprinkle coconut flakes over the top before baking.