• Make the sugar syrup before you start on the cake, as it should to be chilled to soak the hot cake.

Let us make the syrup

• Take water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and cook the syrup over low to medium heat for up to 10 minutes. Take it off the heat, add lemon juice to this.
• When the syrup is completely cold, add rose water (or orange blossom water) and mix well. Keep aside until use.

Let us make the Cake

• Preheat oven to 180C. Use a Sheet pan to bake the cake, grease it well with oil/butter/tahini. I used to an 8 inch round tin and the cake had a good height. I personally preferred it would have been good if it was in a sheet pan, that could the spread the batter well, and give a decent height to the cake.
• I took the semolina and sugar in a blender and pulsed it 3-4 times to make sure the semolina texture is closer to fine.
• In a bowl combine the pulsed semolina and sugar along with baking soda, baking powder, and coconut.
• Use a whisk to combine all the ingredients or you can mix them well with your hands.
• Make a well in the middle, add the yogurt and oil. combine using a spatula. This comes easily and the batter looks like a scoopable ice-cream.
• Transfer the cake batter to the greased sheet pan. Spread the batter using spatula and smoothen the top.
• Using a knife, score the top of the cake creating diamond shaped pieces. Push a piece of almond into each diamond shaped piece of cake batter.
• Place in the oven on the middle rack for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Mine was done by 35 minutes.
• Once done, remove the cake to the kitchen counter. Using a sharp knife cut through scored lines making sure to carve all the way to the bottom of the tray.

Let us bring the basbousa together

• Pour half of cooled sugar syrup on the hot cake. Let the cake absorb it all. Pour the remaining syrup too.
• Let the cake soak all the syrup and absorb all the flavors.
• Slice through the scores and enjoy the cake.