Khobz Mbesses, Algerian Semolina Cake with Eggs, Gateau de Semoule aux Oeufs

This is a very simple, homey cake. It's heavy and very filling. The interior is moist and the crust is  chewy. Traditionally it's made in a tadjine.

There are versions of this cake that are baked or made like a halwet (halva).

400 gr of durum wheat semolina flour
400 gr de semoule

2 eggs
2 oeufs

1 1/2 cups of tepid milk
1 1/2 tasse de lait

1 packet of yeast
1 sachet de levure

2 cups of sugar
340 gr de sucre

1 cup of honey
1 tasse de miel

150 gr of almonds as an optional garnish
150 gr d'amandes

water
eau

2 tablespoons of butter
30 gr de beurre

Method:

1) Knead the flour, eggs, sugar, milk and yeast together with some water until the ingredients are incorporated. The dough should be wetter and looser than a bread dough.

2) Heat a skillet for just a minute and add the butter. Remove pan from heat.

3) Press the dough down into the skillet. 

4) Cover the dough with plastic or a slightly damp towel and let it rise at room temperature until approximately double in size.

5) Cook on very, very low heat. The cake will rise to about double in volume. When fully cooked it will become firm. Turn over and brown the other side for about 10 minutes.

5) Brush the top with warmed honey this will obviously moisten the cake. You can add orange flower water or rose water to the honey if you like. Garnishing with almonds is optional. You can also toast the almonds if you like.

This is what the inside of the cake should look like.

 

 

Algeria Algerian Cuisine Algerian Recipes Algerian Food Algerian dishes Cuisine Algerienne Recettes  Algerienne North African cuisine Maghreb Cuisine

Comments

[Narjis]

I was interested in this cake because of the name. My mother-in-law taught me how to make a cake that was eaten at coffee/tea time. She called it mbesses, but there were no eggs used in it at all. Just semolina, butter and sweetened water. Have you heard of this? Do you have a written recipe for this? I would be interested in it. She also made this mbesses with a date filling. But it was not cut up like makrout.

[Farid Zadi]

Hi Anneliesse

I'm so sorry to hear about your cake. Diluting the yeast in warm water and waiting for it to bubble is called "proofing" ensuring the yeast is active. I have yet to have commercial yeast used before the expire date fail on me. You could have used bad yeast.

Another thing possibility is that my directions were unclear. I read them again and see that I did not clearly state that the pan should be removed from heat and that the dough should be allowed to rise until double in volume at room temperature BEFORE cooking. During cooking it will rise more.

Let me know what happened. Again, apologies if it was my fault for being unlcear with the directions.

[anneliese]

My attempt was a complete failure :(- totally flat. I followed your steps exactly also. Should I have diluted the yeast in warm water before hand perhaps?

[Farid Zadi]

I warn you it's a very dense, heavy cake. Good for the desert! ;-)

It's really a very old cake recipe, easy to make anywhere. I like it alot. Like most Algerians I like things made with semolina flour.

[Paz]

I like the end result!
Paz