Namoura (نمورة) Semolina Cake

5 from 23 votes

Namoura (نمورة) Semolina Cake

Namoura (نمورة), is a delicious Lebanese semolina cake/dessert that is super easy to make and widely known across the Middle East. It is topped with almonds, baked and then soaked with an aromatic sugar.

Prep Time2 25

Cook Time32

Total Time2 57

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Lebanese

Servings: servings

Author: Mariam Ezzeddine

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.

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