Revani with coconut (Ρεβανί (ή Ραβανί) με ινδοκάρυδο)
Greek Revani (or ravani) with coconut is a light syrup soaked semolina cake that you will love! This cake is light and fluffy. The gorgeous texture is in part due to the semolina and the Greek yogourt with the flavours of coconut and orange throughout the cake. This is one of my mom’s favourite desserts, and it is easy to know why!
I am like most Greeks in that I love syrupy desserts. Greeks will 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 I mean our family, not the internet…although, I’m working on it!). You can read all about this amazing group of Greek desserts in this post All about Siropiasta, or Greek desserts with syrup.
Why I love this cake
Growing up in a Greek home I was introduced to syrup-soaked desserts called siropiasta early! What a wonderful childhood I had 🙂 I particularly like this revani with coconut because the texture is fabulous and the flavour with the coconut is amazing! The texture is super too! Light, fluffy and with a bit of feel from the semolina and coconut!
This is also a pretty simple cake to make. Not the easiest mind you (separating the eggs and whisking the egg whites takes some time) but totally do-able even for beginning bakers.
The real reason I love this recipe however is because my Mama loves it! She is not really a dessert person, but this cake she devours! I often make it for her when it is her birthday, nameday and any day I just want to say “I love you, I appreciate you, and I made you a cake to show it!”
Key ingredients
For the cake
Eggs I use large eggs and I typically bring them to room temperature before using them in baking (although this is not absolutely necessary in this recipe).
Cream of tartar This is a dry, white, powdery ingredient that is a byproduct of fermenting grapes into wine. It is used to beat egg whites and to create soft or stiff peaks.
Sugar My ravani is sweetened with plain white granulated sugar. I love this ingredient in baking because it adds sweetness but not much flavour per se, so the other ingredients shine through.
Vegetable oil A light, mild flavoured oil which adds moisture to the cake.
Zest of clementine I love to use clementines in my ravani. They are sweeter than oranges typically, with a slightly different flavour.
Greek yogourt I use plain Greek yogourt because it is richer and thicker than regular yogourt, giving my dessert a richer result.
Fine Semolina Semolina is pale yellow in colour and is made from durum wheat. It has a high protein content and a gives a wonderful flavour, colour and texture to baked goods.
All purpose flour Also called plain or regular flour, this is the basic white flour you can find in almost all grocery stores.
Shredded coconut I use unsweetened coconut in this recipe and I try to find a brand which is finely shredded. If all you can find is regularly shredded coconut however, that is totally fine.
Baking powder and baking soda Both the baking powder and baking soda are used as leavening agents for the cake.
For the syrup
Water Basic tap water will work out well here.
Sugar Granulated white sugar offers sweetness and dissolves well in the water when heated.
Clementine juice Sweet, delicate and full of flavour. Freshly squeezed clementine is so delicious and adds great flavour to the syrup.
Maraschino cherry I like to decorate the top of each piece with half a maraschino cherry. I add them to the cake after it is baked, and after the syrup is poured. This, for me, is the classic way to serve ravani, simply because this is how it has been done in my family for as long as I can remember.
How to make it
Step 1 – Prepare the syrup
Prepare your syrup by combining the water, sugar and clementine juice in a small pot. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and stir well until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool completely.
Step 2 – Preheat oven and prepare pan
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 inch cake pan with either cooking spray or vegetable oil and a brush.
Step 3 – Whisk dry ingredients
In a medium size bowl whisk together the flour, semolina, shredded coconut, baking soda and baking powder until well combined. Set aside.
Step 4 – Beat egg whites
In another bowl combine the 4 egg whites with the cream of tartar and beat well until soft peaks form. Set aside.
Step 5 – Beat together wet ingredients then add dry ingredients
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the 4 egg yolks with the sugar and beat until a pale yellow colour (3 to 4 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 (dry ingredients). Beat using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer until well combined.
Step 6 – Fold in egg whites
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.
Step 7 – Bake
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.
Step 8 – Score cake
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.
Step 9 – Add syrup
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 you would like, decorate each piece with a maraschino cherry.
Recipe substitutions
Instead of clementine zest and juice you can use orange zest and orange juice. You can even use lemon juice and lemon zest if that is what you have, or prefer.
You can use regular plain yogourt instead of plain Greek yogourt.
Instead of decorating your ravani with maraschino cherries you can decorated the top with some additional shredded coconut or even nuts.
About this recipe
Revani (or ravani) 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 like mine 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! Besides, there are desserts like these coconut macaroon cookies called indokarida that you will find in zaharoplastia (bakeries) all around Greece, so clearly coconut is not totally shunned!
Helpful hints
I like to use clementines to make my revani (ravani) with coconut. The zest added to 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, I really do recommend that you use clementines; the flavour is absolutely wonderful.
I 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.
I 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 this recipe 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.
Video: How to make revani with coconut
Frequently asked questions
Is semolina just cornmeal?
No, semolina is made from durum wheat whereas cornmeal is made from corn.
What can I use instead of semolina?
Semolina has a distinct flavour, texture and colour. However, if you do not have semolina you can use bread flour instead. Your revani will not be traditional, but it will work.
How to serve
I like to adorn each piece of my cake with a maraschino cherry (or a glacé cherry) because that is what my family has always done. In fact, when our 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.
What to do with leftover maraschino cherries
If you purchase a jar of maraschino cherries to decorate your cake and have leftovers, use your cherries to make Maraschino cherry cake with cream cheese frosting.
Related recipes
If you love the idea of ravani, then I think you will also love these classic Greek desserts as well.
Pantespani (Παντεσπάνι)
Walnut cake (Karydopita – Καρυδόπιτα)
Greek apple cake (Milopita)
Portokalopita (Πορτοκαλόπιτα)
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Recipe
Revani with coconut
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs, separated
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 tsp grated zest of one clementine (or orange)
- 1 cup plain yogourt
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fine semolina
- 1 cup unsweetened, finely shredded coconut
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- vegetable oil for greasing bottom of pan
For the syrup:
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ cups 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
- 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. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool completely. (See Recipe Note)1 ½ cups water, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, juice of one clementine (or 1/2 an orange)
Prepare your cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Using vegetable oil, lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9 inch round cake pan.vegetable oil for greasing bottom of 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 all-purpose flour, 1 cup fine semolina, 1 cup unsweetened, finely shredded coconut, 2 tsps baking powder, 1/2 tsp 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 tsp cream of tartar, 4 large eggs, separated
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the 4 egg yolks with the sugar and beat until a pale yellow colour (3 to 4 minutes). Next add the clementine zest and the vegetable oil and beat until well combined. Add the yogourt and the dry ingredients. Beat using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer until well combined.1 cup granulated sugar, 3/4 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 tsp grated zest of one clementine (or orange), 1 cup plain yogourt, 4 large eggs, separated
- 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.10-12 marashino cherries, to decorate
I used apple sauce instead of the vegetable oil I hope it will work. Your suggestion on my last question about making the baklava and keeping it in the refrigerator before baking for 3 days worked fine Thank you. Your recipes work
Oh wonderful Basils! Thanks for letting us know about the baklava, and we hope your revani worked well with the applesauce – let us know! And thank you for your kind words! We hope you continue to find much to love here with us! xoxo Helen & Billie