Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1.5 cup – butter, unsalted
• 1.5 cup – castor Sugar
• 1 tsp – vanilla essence
• 2 cups – fine semolina
• 1 tsp – baking powder
• 1.5 tsp – bicarbonate of soda
• 1.5 cup – Yoghurt
• blanched split Almonds
• For the Syrup:
• 2 cups – Sugar
• 1.5 cups – water
• 1 tbsp – Lemon juice

Method:

1. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla essence until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs one at a time and beat well.
3. Sift semolina, baking powder and soda twice.
4. Fold onto butter mixture alternately with yoghurt.
5. Spread batter into a greased 20 x 30 cm slab cake pan and place almonds on top in rows (four across and seven down).
6. Arrange evenly so that when cake is cut, an almond will be centered on each piece.
7. Bake in a mode oven for 30-35 mins until cake is cooked.
8. While cake cooks, make syrup.
9. Dissolve sugar in water over medium heat, add lemon juice and bring to the boil.
10. Boil rapidly for 10 mins, then cool by standing pan in cold water.
11. When cake is cooked, spoon cooled syrup over the hot cake.
12. Cool thoroughly and cut into diamond shape or squares to serve.
13. Thick whipped cream may be served with Basbousa.