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Authentic Revani Recipe Greece, Europe
JUMP TO RECIPEWe strongly advise you to read the cooking tips before jumping to the recipe though
Introduction & history
Simple in appearance but bursting with textures and flavors, revani is a Greek cake which belongs to the siropiasta group of desserts. Just like other sweets from this family, such as baklava, portokalopita, melomakarona, kataifi, samali, and others, its main characteristic is that it is soaked in sugar syrup, which makes it moist and juicy. The preparation of revani begins with mixing the dry ingredients — flour, semolina, baking powder, salt, and sugar — with the wet ones which include eggs, yogurt or milk, and sometimes fat (butter or olive oil). In some recipes, the egg whites are mixed with sugar into a meringue which gives revani a spongy texture. Furthermore, to help achieve revani's typical, grainy texture, semolina can be replaced with ground almonds or flaked or desiccated coconut. The batter is poured into a baking pan and baked in a pre-heated oven for 20 to 40 minutes at 170 to 180˚C. After that, revani is drizzled with a sugar syrup which ... Read more
Cooking tips
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flour and semolina
To make revani, all-purpose or cake flour is most commonly mixed with fine semolina, although a mixture of coarse and fine semolina may also be used. Sometimes, semolina can be replaced with flaked or desiccated coconut, or ground almonds, which imitate the grainy texture achieved by using semolina. -
eggs
If the recipe calls for whole eggs, they are usually mixed with sugar to become fluffy and light-yellow — preferably, this is done with an electric mixer. An alternative method suggests separating the egg whites from the egg yolks. In this case, the egg whites are combined with sugar and whipped into a firm meringue which is folded into the batter to make the cake spongy. -
yogurt
When it comes to yogurt, the best option is to use Greek yogurt and to strain it to get rid of excess water. Other options include using plain yogurt or milk. -
fat
In some revani recipes, butter or even olive oil is added to the batter to make it juicier and give it a richer taste. This is most commonly seen in recipes which do not contain yogurt since Greek yogurt is already rich in fats. -
flavorings
Most commonly, the revani batter is flavored with vanilla extract, lemon and/or orange juice and zest. Some recipes also suggest using rosewater. -
baking
Revani is usually baked in a square or round baking pan which should be greased with butter and sprinkled with some flour to prevent the cake from sticking to the bottom. Usually, the cake is baked at 170 to 180˚C for 20 to 40 minutes, until the surface browns slightly. Also, the cake can be baked at 250˚C for 10 minutes, and the temperature should then be lowered to 170 to 180˚C until the cake is ... Read more -
syrup
The sugar syrup for revani is made by boiling water and sugar until they thicken slightly. The syrup can be enhanced with lemon or orange juice or zest, while modern recipes suggest using Greek liqueur mastika or cognac. When it comes to drizzling syrup over the baked cake, there are two possible methods. Some say the syrup should be hot, while orhers prefer to have it cooled slightly. Whichever option ... Read more -
decoration
Since it looks quite plain and simple, revani is often decorated with powdered sugar, desiccated coconuts, or crushed pistachios. The cake can also be served with a dollop of whipped cream, or with kaimaki — a traditional stretchy Greek ice-cream made with salep powder and mastic grains. -
serving
Revani can be served at room temperature or chilled. It is advisable to let it stand for a few hours or, preferably, overnight, to let the sugar syrup soak in completely.
Recipe variations
Classic Veroian Revani
PREP 15min
COOK 40min
READY IN 55min
Accessed from emvolos.gr, this is an adaptation of an authentic revani recipe by the confectioners of the Caranos Veroia Association.
Ingredients
Classic Veroian Revani
1 cup cake flour, sifted
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup fine semolina
1/2 cup coarse semolina
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, separated
1 yogurt (200g), drained
1 tsp vanilla extract
juice of 1 lemon or orange
1 pinch of salt
SYRUP
1 ½ cup sugar
1 ½ cup water
juice of 2-3 oranges
1 tsp lemon juice
Preparation
1
Classic Veroian Revani
Step 1/10
Preheat the oven to 250˚C.
Step 2/10
In a large bowl, combine flour, fine and coarse semolina, and baking powder.
Step 3/10
Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks.
Step 4/10
Mix the egg yolks with sugar at medium to high speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add yogurt and mix over low speed.
Step 5/10
Fold in the flour and semolina mixture. Stir in the vanilla and lemon or orange juice.
Step 6/10
In a separate bowl, mix the egg whites with salt until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the egg white snow into the batter, so it remains fluffy.
Step 7/10
Butter the baking pan and pour in the batter.
Step 8/10
Bake for 10 minutes at 250˚C. Then, lower the heat to 180˚C and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes. When the cake is baked, let it cool and cut it into individual servings.
Step 9/10
While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup. In a small saucepan, boil sugar, water, orange and lemon juice for 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
Step 10/10
Slowly pour the syrup over the baked revani. Let it cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
Other Variations
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