Revani with coconut (Ρεβανί (ή Ραβανί) με ινδοκάρυδο)

Revani with coconut (Ρεβανί (ή Ραβανί) με ινδοκάρυδο)

Greek Revani (or ravani) with coconut is a light syrup soaked semolina cake you’ll love!

You may have noticed that Greeks love syrup.  We’ll take a perfectly delicious walnut cake, a delightful phyllo and custard dessert, or a simply yummy pear shaped cookie and make them better with syrup.  Sticky, and now even more delicious, syrup soaked cakes are a particular favourite around here (and by here we mean our family, not the internet…although, we’re working on it!).

Revani with coconut (Ρεβανί (ή Ραβανί) με ινδοκάρυδο)

Revani is a traditional syrup cake with variations galore! There are versions made in several countries like Turkey and Egypt, all going by different names. In Greek, this dessert is called revani (ρεβανί) or ravani (ραβανί).  Name aside, within Greek families there are also differences in the recipe. Some bakers flavour their syrup with rose water, others with orange juice, some with lemon.  There are differences in the proportion of semolina to flour used, and there seems to be a heated debate over the inclusion of coconut, with some people arguing that coconuts do not grow in Greece, so using them in revani is wrong.  Well, it may be wrong, but frankly…it’s delicious.  Be a rebel, use the coconut!

IMG_8315

Helpful hints

We like to use clementines to make our revani (ravani) with coconut. The zest for the cake batter and the juice in the syrup comes from clementines, which tend to be sweeter and juicier than oranges. Although you can use oranges instead, we really do recommend that you use clementines; the flavour is absolutely wonderful.

We used a reduced fat yogourt in this recipe for revani (ravani) with coconut however you can use any yogourt you like, so long as it is plain and unflavoured.

IMG_8318
IMG_8323
IMG_8325
IMG_8329

We know how tempting it is to peak in on your revani (ravani) with coconut cake while it is baking, but try to avoid doing so, especially during the first 30 minutes of cooking time.  Opening the door to your oven and releasing the heat will potentially cause your cake to sink a bit (or a lot!) in the middle.  That would be a shame, especially since this cake is incredibly fluffy, unlike some of the denser versions of revani that you may come across.

You will notice that our recipe for revani (ravani) with coconut is similar to the one for pantespani. For both desserts, you need to prepare your syrup in advance so that cooled syrup is poured over the hot cake. You will beat your eggs separately in order to fold in egg whites which you have beaten to a soft peak, and you’ll even cut your cake in a similar fashion.  However, despite the fact that they end up looking similar, revani and pantespani are quite different in their flavour and texture.

Revani with coconut (Ρεβανί (ή Ραβανί) με ινδοκάρυδο)

We like to adorn each piece of our revani with a maraschino cherry because that is what our family does.  In fact, when one of our aunts (actually, a koumbara) makes revani during Christmas time she uses both red and green maraschino cherries to decorate her cake.  If you don’t like maraschino cherries, you can certainly use something else to make your revani pretty; shredded coconut is a lovely option.  You can also decide to keep your cake plain; with a flavour so delicious you really don’t need to dress it up.

If you purchase a jar of maraschino cherries to decorate your cake and end up choosing not to, use your cherries to make this cake instead.

Revani with coconut (Ρεβανί (ή Ραβανί) με ινδοκάρυδο)

Looking for more syrup-y desserts? Try these:

Baklava

Galaktoboureko (Γαλακτομπούρεκο)

Pantespani

Revani with coconut (Ρεβανί (ή Ραβανί) με ινδοκάρυδο)

We love hearing from you!  If you have made our recipes, or if you have a question or comment, or simply want to say Hi!,  please leave a comment and star rating below! Also be sure to follow along with us, on FacebookInstagram and Pinterest.  We have lots of fun over there.

This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission of items you purchase at no additional cost to you.

Revani with coconut (Ρεβανί (ή Ραβανί) με ινδοκάρυδο)

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Greek Revani with coconut is a light syrup soaked semolina cake you'll love!

Revani with coconut

Revani with coconut is a light syrup soaked semolina cake you'll love!
5 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Greek
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Author: Mia Kouppa

Equipment

  • 9 inch baking pan
  • hand held mixer
  • Stand mixer
  • Whisk

Ingredients

  • 4 large eggs, separated
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup (175 mL) vegetable oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated zest of one clementine (or orange)
  • 1 cup (250 grams) plain yogourt
  • 1/4 cup (37 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup fine semolina
  • 1 cup unsweetened, finely shredded coconut
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • vegetable oil for greasing bottom of pan

For the syrup:

  • 1 ½ cups (375 mL) water
  • 1 ½ cup (300 grams) granulated sugar see note below
  • juice of one clementine (or 1/2 an orange)
  • 10-12 marashino cherries, to decorate optional

Instructions

  • Prepare your syrup by combining the water, sugar and clementine juice in a small sauce pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and stir well until the sugar has dissolved.  Set aside to cool completely.
    1 ½ cups (375 mL) water, 1 ½ cup (300 grams) granulated sugar, juice of one clementine (or 1/2 an orange)
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Using vegetable oil, lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9 inch round cake pan.
  • In a medium size bowl whisk together the flour, semolina, shredded coconut, baking soda and baking powder until well combined. Set aside.
    1/4 cup (37 grams) all-purpose flour, 1 cup fine semolina, 1 cup unsweetened, finely shredded coconut, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • In another bowl combine the 4 egg whites with the cream of tartar and beat well until soft peaks form.  Set aside.
    1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the 4 egg yolks with the sugar and beat until a pale yellow colour (2 to 3 minutes).  Next add the clementine zest and the vegetable oil and beat until well combined.  Add the yogourt and the contents of the bowl with the semolina and coconut. Beat using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer until well combined.
    1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar, 3/4 cup (175 mL) vegetable oil, 1/2 teaspoon grated zest of one clementine (or orange), 1 cup (250 grams) plain yogourt
  • Next, using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the egg whites.  Continue to fold in the whites until they are well combined within the rest of the batter.
  • Pour the batter into your greased cake pan and bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes, being careful not to open the oven door too much during the baking process.
  • When your cake is ready (a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean), remove it from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then, using a sharp knife, cut your cake into serving size pieces; it is traditional to cut your cake into diamonds as shown.
  • Pour the cooled syrup slowly over your still warm cake.  All of the syrup should be absorbed by your cake.  Be sure to pour the syrup around the edges as well.
  • If desired, decorate each piece with a maraschino cherry.  When your cake has cooled, serve and enjoy.

Notes

If you prefer a less sweet syrup, decrease the sugar to 1 cup, instead of 1 1/2 cups of sugar.

Thanks for sharing!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating