Greek Ravani (Coconut cake with syrup) Recipe

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This authentic Greek Ravani (also known as Revani) is a heavenly coconut cake soaked in sweet syrup that melts in your mouth.

The moist, tender crumb comes from perfectly balanced ingredients, while the aromatic syrup adds an irresistible sweetness that makes this traditional dessert truly special.

Ready in just 90 minutes, this foolproof recipe creates 10-12 generous portions of pure Mediterranean bliss – perfect for family gatherings or special occasions.

Essential Ingredients for Greek Ravani

Essential Ingredients for Greek Ravani
  • Eggs: 4 large eggs, separated into whites and yolks for optimal fluffiness
  • Butter: 1 cup at room temperature for perfect creaming
  • Sugar: 2 cups for the cake batter
  • Flour: 1 cup plain flour, sifted for smoothness
  • Baking Powder: 1 teaspoon for proper rise
  • Coconut: 2 cups flaked coconut, the star ingredient
  • Orange Zest: From 2 fresh oranges for aromatic flavor
  • Syrup Ingredients: 1½ cups each of sugar and water, plus juice of ½ lemon
  • Garnish: Handful of crushed pistachios for decoration

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Preparation: Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F and prepare your cake tin
  2. Cream Base: Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then incorporate egg yolks one at a time
  3. Meringue Magic: Whip egg whites until glossy peaks form – this is your secret to ultimate fluffiness!
  4. Dry Mixture: Combine coconut, flour, and baking powder in a separate bowl
  5. Gentle Folding: Carefully incorporate meringue and flour mixture into butter base, adding orange zest last
  6. Baking Time: Pour into prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes until golden
  7. Syrup Creation: While cake cools, prepare syrup by boiling water, sugar, and lemon juice for 5-10 minutes
  8. Final Touch: Gradually pour warm syrup over cooled cake, letting each addition absorb
  9. Serving: Chill cake, sprinkle with pistachios, and serve with vanilla ice cream for a delightful treat

Key Baking Tips

The magic of this Greek coconut cake lies in how you handle the eggs! Beating the whites into meringue makes the cake super fluffy – it’s such a smart trick.

Just remember to keep your bowl and beaters completely dry when whipping those egg whites.

And here’s a friendly tip: let your butter come to room temperature before starting. This makes it much easier to cream with the sugar and creates that lovely, soft texture we’re looking for.

Storage & Make-Ahead Tips

This syrupy coconut cake actually gets better after a day in the fridge! Once you’ve added all the syrup, pop it in an airtight container and refrigerate.

It stays wonderfully moist for up to 5 days – if it lasts that long! The syrup keeps everything nice and fresh. Just don’t add the pistachio topping until you’re ready to serve, so they stay crunchy.

Serving Ideas

While this ravani is amazing on its own, you can dress it up in so many fun ways! Try serving it with:

  • A scoop of vanilla ice cream (as suggested in the recipe)
  • A dollop of Greek yogurt for a tangy twist
  • Fresh orange segments to match the zest in the cake
  • A light dusting of cinnamon
  • Extra toasted coconut sprinkled on top

Remember to serve it cold – it’s so refreshing this way!

Simple Substitutions

No worries if you need to switch things up a bit:

  • Switch pistachios for almonds or walnuts if that’s what you have
  • Use lemon zest instead of orange for a different citrus kick
  • If you can’t find flaked coconut, you can use shredded coconut

Just keep the amounts the same and you’ll be all set!

Greek Ravani / Revani (Coconut cake with syrup) Recipe

Greek Ravani / Revani (Coconut cake with syrup)

Bushra
A traditional Greek coconut cake soaked in sweet syrup and topped with crushed pistachios
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Greek
Servings 10 portions

Equipment

  • Round cake tin (30cm diameter)
  • electric mixer
  • Saucepan

Ingredients
  

For the ravani

  • 4 eggs separated into whites and yolks
  • 1 cup butter at room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 cups flaked coconut
  • 2 oranges zested

For the syrup

  • 1.5 cups sugar
  • 1.5 cups water
  • 1/2 lemon juiced

For the topping

  • 1 handful pistachios crushed

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F.
  • In most recipes for Greek coconut cake, the eggs are added whole in the mixture, but with this recipe the egg whites are beaten into meringues. This is the secret to a more fluffy ravani cake and to avoid the egg-y smell, which can ruin the flavour of your cake.
  • To prepare the Greek coconut cake, start by mixing the butter and sugar (at high speed), until fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, allowing each one to be absorbed, whilst mixing. Set the mixture aside.
  • Place the egg whites and a pinch of sugar in a clean mixing bowl. Make sure your egg whites, bowl and whisk attachment/s are free of any water. Use an electric mixer or electric hand beaters to whisk the egg whites until the mixture is very thick and glossy, and a long trailing peak forms when the whisk is lifted (meringues).
  • In another bowl, blend the flaked coconut, the flour and baking powder.
  • With a spatula add the meringues and half of the flour mixture into the whisked butter and blend lightly, until the ingredients are combined. Add the rest of the flour mixture and the orange zest; blend lightly with circular movements.
  • To bake the ravani cake, use a round cake tin, approx 30cm in diameter. Use a cooking brush to butter the bottom and sides of the cake tin. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp of flour and shake the cake tin, so that the flour covers the butter; get rid of any excess flour. This technique will prevent the ravani from sticking on the pan.
  • Bake the ravani in preheated oven at 180C/350F for 40-45 minutes, until golden and cooked through. After baking the cake, let it cool down for a while.
  • After the ravani has cooled down, start preparing the syrup. Add in a saucepan the sugar, the water and lemon juice; boil for about 5-10 minutes, until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup has slightly thickened. Remove the pan from the stove and ladle slowly the syrup over the ravani cake, allowing each ladle of syrup to be absorbed, before ladling again. Allow time for the syrup to be absorbed and place in the fridge.
  • Sprinkle with some crushed pistachios and serve this extra syrupy Greek coconut cake cold with a full spoon of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!
Keyword coconut pastry, Greek dessert, Mediterranean sweets, semolina cake, syrup-soaked cake
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