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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
Coconut Revani
PREP 15min
COOK 45min
READY IN 1h
In this revani recipe, adapted from mygreekdish.com, semolina is replaced with flaked coconut and the egg whites are beaten into a meringue to make the cake more fluffy.
Ingredients
Coconut Revani
4 eggs, separated
2 cups butter
2 cups sugar
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups flaked coconut
zest of 2 oranges
SYRUP
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
juice of 1/2 lemon
Preparation
1
Coconut Revani
Step 1/10
Begin by preheating the oven to 180˚C and separating the egg whites from the egg yolks.
Step 2/10
Using an electric mixer set to the highest speed, mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy. One by one, add the egg yolks.
Step 3/10
Now, make the meringue. Mix the egg whites with a pinch of sugar into a firm snow, until stiff peaks form.
Step 4/10
Combine flour, baking powder, and flaked coconut.
Step 5/10
Add the meringue and half of the flour mixture into the butter, sugar and egg yolk mixture. Stir with a spatula until combined. Then, add the remaining half of the flour mixture and the orange zest, and fold them in gently.
Step 6/10
Grease a round, 30-cm baking tin with butter, and sprinkle it with some flour. Pour in the batter.
Step 7/10
Bake at 180˚C for 30 to 45 minutes. Let the cake cool.
Step 8/10
While the revani is cooling, make the syrup. Place sugar, water, and lemon juice into a saucepan and boil for 5 to 10 minutes. When the sugar dissolves, and the syrup begins to thicken slightly, remove it from heat.
Step 9/10
Using a ladle, slowly pour the syrup over the cake. Place the cake into the refrigerator, letting the syrup to absorb completely.
Step 10/10
Serve cold with vanilla ice-cream.
Other Variations
Other authentic recipes
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