Doing things the Greek way: Greek sugar cake: ravani'

When Annalena was younger, pot lucks seemed to be all the rage. Perhaps it was because we all KNEW we had less money then, or there was a different sensibility about dinner parties, who knows? In any event, to the extent Annalena remembers her past, she remembers those parties. You've been to the top, where there's one main dish, 26 pasta salads, and 19 plates of cookies.

Ah yes, indeed. Annalena did contribute to those imbalances herself, frequently bringing the cake elaborated upon in this entry. Why she stopped making it, is open to question. It is a good cake, a fun cake, and a popular one. Annalena should also tell you that according to the Greeks she knows, this is not authentic. Annalena got the dessert recipe from a woman who's last name is Theoharous. Dare one say "it's all Greek to me?" Seriously, when researching the recipe (as Annalena is wont to do), she found so many variations as to boggle the mind. So, this is hers. Make it if you like, or if you are inspired to look for others, please do. And tell me what you find, and make.

The interesting ingredient in this cake, is farina. Or, as we called it as children "Cream of Wheat." If you are of a certain age, you ate this. Annalena used to much prefer it to oatmeal, and was bribed with it occasionally. (Perhaps that is why it fell out of favor with Annalena: she doesn't much eat cooked breakfast cereal anymore. Oh well...).

Let us cook. You are going to need to preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 pan. Put this aside, and melt two sticks of unsalted butter. Let it cool a bit, and add 3/4 cup of sugar to it. Beat this VERY well. Five minutes is not too little time. Then, add five large eggs, and beat them in very well. Annalena prefers to add an extra egg yolk, but this is your call. You definitely should do it if you can only find medium eggs.

In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups of flour, a cup of cream of wheat, or farina (and PLEASE. No instant cereal here, please), and 2 TABLESPOONS (you read that correctly) of baking powder. Stir this all into the egg/butter mixture, and then add a generous couple of teaspoons of vanilla.

You are going to have a yellowish, thick cereal like batter. Pour that into your pan, and smooth it out. Get it into the oven, and bake for about 30 minutes.

That wasn't hard, was it? Now, let's make syrup. Mix 3 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar in a saucepan, and let them heat for about fifteen minutes. Then, add the juice of one lemon, or even more. Indeed, Annalena likes to boil the syrup with the peel of one lemon as well, and then pull it out at the end. If you prefer the taste of oranges, use those. You could use blood oranges, which makes a very tasty, but somewhat ugly looking cake.

When the half hour has passed ,your cake will be light brown, and you will be intrigued by the texture. It is somewhat sandy, in a good way, and very light. It is rather sturdy though. This is not a cake that is going to collapse on you.

Fun part coming up. While the cake is hot, score it into small squares, or diagonals, or diamonds, whatever you like. Then, take the hot syrup and slowly pour it over the cake. It will get drunken up, but as you add more and more syrup, it will "imbibe" more slowly. It will all go in though.

Then let the beast sit and rest for a few hours. It's beter not to refrigerate this.


Annalena has been known to sit there with her slice, sucking the syrup out of it, because she is rather perverse. You may find yourself doing that as well.

Given the sweetness of the cake, you can feed LOTS of people with this. Annalena's source says 20, which must mean the Greeks she knows eat very little. Annalena thinks 12 servings or so. In any event, make it and see for yourself.


This is one for you, Jim Peck