Moroccan cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Chamia bel Louz

Moist semolina cake with ground almonds, soaked in hot lemon syrup after baking.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 300 g semolina
• 150 g ground almonds
• 200 g sugar
• 200 g yogurt
• 150 ml neutral oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 packet baking powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 50 g almond flakes
• 250 g sugar
• 2 organic lemons

Instructions

1. Mix the semolina, ground almonds, 200 g sugar, baking powder and salt, add the yogurt, oil and eggs, and stir until smooth; let the batter swell for 20 min.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (355°F) top/bottom heat and grease a 25 × 30 cm baking dish.
3. Pour in the batter evenly, smooth the top, score it into diamonds, and press a few almond flakes into each diamond.
4. Bake the cake for 35–40 min. until the surface is golden brown and the edges pull away slightly from the dish.
5. Meanwhile, boil 250 g sugar with 300 ml water, the grated zest and the juice of both lemons for 8–10 min. into a clear syrup.
6. Slowly pour the hot syrup over the hot cake, let it soak in for 2 hours, and only then lift out the diamonds.