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Namoura (نمورة), is a delicious Lebanese semolina cake that is super easy to make and widely known across the Middle East. It’s a perfect balance of sweetness and texture, making it a favorite at family gatherings, celebrations, or even as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea.
If you like easy Lebanese desserts, try my Coconut Basbousa Recipe as well as my Lebanese Sfouf Recipe. They are my family’s favorite.
What is Namoura (نمورة)?
Namoura is a traditional Lebanese dessert, a moist semolina-based cake, topped with almonds and soaked in fragrant sugar syrup after baking. Many other Middle Eastern cultures call it by other names. Egyptians call it Basbousa, Palestinians call it Harissa, Armenians call it Shamali, and Persians call it Revani/Ravani. But the cake is made slightly different based on their culture and traditions.
Why You’ll Love It
- Easy to Make: With simple ingredients and straightforward steps, even beginner bakers can master this recipe.
- Irresistible Texture: The combination of semolina and yogurt creates a moist, crumbly cake that melts in your mouth.
- Versatile: Namoura can be customized with nuts like almonds or coconut for added flavor and texture.
Ingredients For Lebanese Namoura
The recipe uses pantry staples like semolina, sugar, and yogurt, butter and almond for extra flavor. Full measurements are in the recipe card.
For the Cake
- Coarse and Fine Semolina: Durum Wheat semolina is used for the base of the cake, and provides a unique, crumbly texture.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness to the cake batter.
- Plain Yogurt: Keeps the cake moist and tender.
- Carnation Milk: Adds moisture to the batter. Preferably, but you can replace it with full-fat milk.
- Unsalted Butter (warm, melted): Adds richness and flavor to the batter. Can be replaced with Ghee.
- Baking Powder: Helps the cake rise slightly.
- Almond Halves: Used for garnishing, adding a crunchy texture. Be sure to use peeled almonds.
- Orange Blossom Water: Infuses the syrup with a floral aroma.
For the Sugar Syrup
- Granulated Sugar: Forms the base of the sweet syrup.
- Water: Dissolves the sugar to create the syrup.
- Lemon Juice: Prevents crystallization and adds a slight tang.
- Rose Water and Orange Blossom Water: Infuses the syrup with a floral aroma.
Coarse Semolina Vs. Fine Semolina
Texture: Gritty and granular, with a larger particle size.
Texture: Smooth and powdery, with a smaller particle size.
How to Make Namoura (نمورة)
The Namoura (نمورة) cake is so easy to make. Here is a step-by-step guide to making this delicious dessert at home.
Step 1: Prepare the sugar syrup.
Learn here How to Make Lebanese Simple Syrup (Ater).
Step 2: Make the Namoura Batter
Step 3: Shape the batter and top with almonds
Step 4: Bake the Namoura Cake and Soak with Syrup
Storing and Freezing
Storing Namoura: Namoura can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature can last for up to 3 days. It can also be refrigerated for up to 7 days. After that, it will be too dry unless it was drenched with sugar syrup.
Freezing Namoura: I do not recommend freezing Namoura cake. But if you have to, wrap it up well and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw it at room temperature and drizzle with a little extra syrup if needed. Note that the texture will slightly change and the Namoura will no longer be crispy.
Important Recipe Tips
- Allow the completed namoura batter to rest for at least 2 hours before cutting into desired shape and baking.
- Watch the cake very closely when broiling the top for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour all 3-4 cups of sugar syrup or else the cake will come out dry. Namoura should be very moist because the semolina with absorb all the syrup. Dry Namoura will result in a crumbly cake. At the very least, 2.5 cups for a semi-moist cake.
- Allow the cake to rest for at least 1-2 hours to absorb all the syrup well before cutting through it and serving.
- Milk and Butter must be warm, not cold.
- Pan size: Note that if you change the pan size to something smaller, the cake will be thicker. If you use something larger, the cake will be thinner. This cake portion is for a 15 x 10 inch pan, because I prefer mine half way thick. It comes out to about .75 inch thick.
Common Questions
Yogurt is essential for the moist texture of traditional Namoura.
If stored in an airtight container at room temperature, It can last for up to 4 days. It can also be refrigerated for up to 7 days.
You can replace it with full fat milk or replace it with yogurt.
No, this item is required for the recipe and syrup.
No, the recipe requires Durum Wheat Semolina only.
Middle Eastern Desserts You Should Also Try
- Fried Atayef with Ashta
- Authentic Pistachio Baklava
- Lebanese Nights Pudding (Layali Lubnan)
- Homemade Walnut Baklava
Lebanese Namoura (نمورة) is more than just a dessert—it’s a celebration of Middle Eastern flavors. With its moist, crunchy texture and fragrant syrup, traditional Namoura is a staple dessert in many homes and will sure become a favorite in yours.
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Namoura (نمورة) Semolina Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups coarse semolina flour, also known as farina
- 1 cup fine semolina flour, also known as ferkhra
- ¾ cup salted butter, melted, warm
- 1½ tbsp. baking powder
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup plain yogurt, whole fat
- ⅔ cup evaporated milk, carnation, warm
- 3 tbsp. orange blossom water
- 2 tbsps. tahini paste, for greasing the tray
- ½ cup almonds, peeled, halves
SUGAR SYRUP:
- 4 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsps. orange blossoms water
- 1 tbsp. rose water
- 2 tsps. lemon juice
Other
- ¼ cup melted butter, for brushing after first bake
Instructions
- Prepare the Lebanese Simple Sugar Syrup (Ater) and set aside.
- In an mixing bowl, mix the fine semolina and coarse semolina with the warm butter. Allow is to sit for 10 minutes.
- Add in the warm milk, orange blossom water, baking powder, yogurt and mix until very well combined.
- Line a 15 inch x 10 inch non-stick pan with parchment paper. Brush with the tahini paste and then place the batter on it and spread out evenly on the pan with a spatula or wet palm. You can dip the spatula in water to help smoothen the surface.
- Cover and let it rest for at least 2 hours (until the semolina absorbs the moisture and becomes softer).
- Using a small knife, cut out the namoura batter into square patterns or diamond shape patterns. If necessary, dip the knife in water to get cleaner lines. The lines do not have to be perfect this is a guide to place the almonds.
- Press in each piece of almond to the middle of the shaped portion.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- First bake: Bake the Namoura cake on the middle rack in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes then remove from the oven. Brush with melted butter.
- Second bake: Return it back to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes. Once the edges are brown, turn the top broiler on to broil the top for just 1-2 minutes only to obtain a darker golden color. Watch very close so you do not burn it.
- Remove from the oven and pour at least 3-4 cups of sugar syrup, preferably 4 cups evenly over the Namoura while it's hot. Let it cool at room temperature for a at least 2 hours before cutting into it and serving.
Notes
- Allow the completed namoura batter to rest for at least 2 hours before cutting into desired shape and baking.
- Watch the cake very closely when broiling the top for 1-2 minutes.
- Put all 3-4 cups of sugar syrup or else the cake will come out dry. Namoura should be very moist because the semolina with absorb all the syrup. Dry Namoura will result in a crumbly cake. At the very least, 3 cups for a semi moist cake.
- Allow the cake to rest for at least 1-2 hours to absorb all the syrup well before cutting through it and serving.
- Milk and Butter must be warm, not cold.
- Pan size: Note that if you change the pan size to something smaller, the cake will be thicker. If you use something larger, the cake will be thinner. This cake portion is for a 15 x 10 inch pan, because I prefer mine half way thick. It comes out to about .75 inch thick.
This was very good! Thank you for a wonderful recipe! I used whole milk instead of carnation milk as you suggested as an alternative in the comments.
Hi Nadea,
Thanks so much for leaving a review. I really appreciate it and glad you enjoyed the recipe.
I’d the final result supposed to be soft like cake or harder, almost crunchy?
Hi Rebecca,
This all depends on the tray you are using. The smaller the tray the thicker and more cake like it will be. The larger your tray, the more the batter spreads out and you get a thinner cake thickness and it will come out more crunchy. Also you can always toast the top with the broiler a little more to create more crunch. The perfect size for this recipe is a half a sheet pan, which is about 17 x 13 inches.
Hi I followed your recipe but the batter was a little runny why would that be?
Hi Hayam,
Not sure. Sometimes the type of semolina also makes a difference. I recently used a new brand and it was terrible. It did not suck in the liquids well and didn’t hold up. Use only Ziyad brand if you can. Use 4 cups of semolina and reduce the butter by 1/4 cup. Let the batter sit well for 30-45 minutes before cutting. Also you don’t have to cut it ahead. Bake it, pour syrup and once it’s cold, you can cut it up. Sometimes people find the pre-cutting tricky. Hope that helps.
Where is the coconut?
Hi Andy,
This is the Lebanese version Namoura, not Basbousa. Usually Basbousa has coconut in it, typically made in other Middle Eastern countries.
I made this today and put 1.5 tablespoons baking powder as stated but the namoura rose so much and looks more like sfouf! Did you mean it to be 1.5 teaspoons instead?
Hi Sandra,
Did you use the half sheet pan? The size if that pan is 17.88 x 12.88 x 1.06 inches. Its big enough to spread the batter to not rise that much. But if you use another pan thats smaller, yes you will have to reduce the baking powder because the batter will be thicker than that of a half sheet pan. Also you can always reduce the amount of BB at anytime if you don’t want it to rise too much. It’s all a matter of preference.
Thank you 😊 makes sense!
Hi, Can you use evaporated milk?
Hi Maryam,
Ofcorse, that the same as evaporated milk.
Can we replace the carnation milk with regular milk?
Hi Ghaida,
Yes, but full fat milk only.
How do you make the triangles so perfect? I can make perfect squares but not the triangles ? Thank you .
Sauson
Hi Sauson!
You can follow the pattern of the lines I made from the uncooked pan. Basically the edge pieces wont be perfect like that but the middle section will give you that shape.
Do you have to brush with tahini paste?
Hi Alin,
Most people do that as it also adds a bit of a flavor to the crust but if you don’t have it in hand, just use a parchment paper and spray it with baking spray.
Hey, those namoura look amazing, how do you ensure they are perfectly even in the baking pan and come out even?
Thank you!
Hi Salem,
After you pour in the batter, get your palms a little wet and pat down the batter to even it all out on the tray.
Hello!
Your Namoura recipe sounds amazing!
How big should the pan be?
Greetings,
Ema
Hi Ema!
If you would like the namoura to come out thin (about 3/4 inch), you can use a 15 x 10 ” pan size. If you would like it to be a little thicker (a little over 1 inch), you can use a 9 x 13 pan.