Ravani — Semolina Cake in Orange Syrup

First, prepare the syrup. In a saucepan, combine 200g sugar, 200ml water, 250ml orange juice, and the cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

Preheat your oven to 180°C. Grease and flour a 23cm round baking pan.

In a large bowl, beat the 4 eggs with 100g sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Gently fold in the 200g Greek yogurt, 1 tbsp orange zest, and 1 tsp vanilla extract into the egg mixture.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the 250g coarse semolina and 2 tsp baking powder. Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

Once the cake is out of the oven, immediately pour the cool syrup evenly over the hot cake. The cake will absorb the syrup.

Let the ravani cool completely in the pan before slicing and serving. This allows the syrup to fully penetrate and moisten the cake.