For those contemplating visiting Greece this summer, I encourage you to also travel north to Greece’s second largest city Thessaloniki. After you’re done seeing the sites, smelling and ultimately tasting the food then you should consider a day trip just one hour south to the city of Veria. Veria is reachable by train, bus and car and nearby is the Vergina tombs and museum showcasing over 2000 years of Greek history and artifacts.
Near Vergina is the city of Veria: one side is modern, kind of drab with rows of apartments like many Greek cities but the north side of the city is old, full of well-preserved Byzantine churches (and iconography) in the Kyriotissa Quarter. St. Paul also visited Beria during his Second Journey. Ask any one of the locals and they will direct you to the monument.
As you’re walking through Veria you will also see several shops selling Revani, a syrup sponge cake that is a specialty of this city. There are many recipes for this classic including one with coconut but this is the family’s recipe, it’s easy and it went over HUGE at my last Greek Supper Club served with Lemon Cocount Ice Cream.
Revani Syrup Cake
(serves 12)
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Add semolina, flour, baking powder in a bowl, stir, set aside.
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To a mixer, add oil, sugar, vanilla and beat until white (about 5 minutes).
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Add eggs one at time then add yogurt and vanilla.
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Slowly add dry ingredients to wet.
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Grease your pan, empty batter in pan. Bang the pan a couple of times.
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Place in preheated 350F oven for 35-40 mins.
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Allow cake to cool.
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Meanwhile, add all syrup ingredients into a pot over medium heat, simmer 8 mins, turn off.
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Reheat syrup if needed, use a ladle to pour over room temperature cake, allow to cool (ideally place in fridge overnight).
- Cut into pieces (square or diamond shape).
- Garnish each piece with shredded coconut or ground pistachios or both! Revani pairs well with ice cream.
19 Responses
It looks Fabulous Peter, I even saw the pictures from your dinner night, congratulations my friend you are so talented!
I also have a revani coming over but it’s a little different..
Cheers!
That is one of my favorite cakes. Your Revani looks so tempting.
Cheers,
Rosa
Lovely looking revani, and sure brings back lots of memories. Thessaloniki is one of my favorite places in Greece, a must see!:)
Ozlem
Edith, this recipe has 6 eggs…big tray, dessert – not supposed to be “diet”.
Wish i could have been at the dinner, but now I’ve got the next best thing – the recipe.
This looks fabulous…..my husband is Turkish and this is his favourite dessert. I make it at least once a month for him, I got the recipe while I was in Izmir. He devours the whole cake himself. :-)
I wish I could visit Thessaloniki, my neighbours are from there…..and she too loves Revani.
Thanks again for one of your yummy recipes.
I am always struck how similar pastries and savory food is to ours in Greece, but the Greeks are not shy when using eggs; I must find out why eggs are hardly found in lebanese pastries; (I am guessing it is because in the villages the eggs were eaten as a main dish). Whatever! This looks irresistible and congrats on the success of your parties!
I don’t think I can ever tire of revani recipes. I will have to try this one now. Glad to hear the Supper club is going well (I knew it would!). And thanks for the shout out Peter!
Greetings from Thessaloniki, Greece, Peter. Nice work you have done. It looks delicious! And this is how a revani should be. I have tried a variant of revani in my website, with orange, coconut and chocolate sauce.
Geia sou Iliana and thank you for your comment and welcome! I love Revani and its great with ice cream. Also, I will be in Thessaloniki & Halkidiki in early August.
Hi Peter, Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe. I would like to make sure that you do actually use 16 (sixteen) eggs and it is not a typing error. My grandma used to make this for us when we were kids, but she only used 6 eggs? Help!! :)
Hi Jenny and thanks for your comment. The recipe indeed contains 16 eggs but its worth it!
Hello Peter. Can you explain to me please where in your resipe of Revani you use 16 eggs? You say 6 eggs. Thank you.
Helen, the recipe uses 6 eggs – no mention of 16.
Hello Jenny. You say that the resipe says 16 eggs. The resipe I read right now says 6 eggs. Where did you see 16?
it looks amazing! greetings from roumania!
Revani is my favourite Greek sweet. Your version looks great and I bet tastes even better.
While vacationing in Paros a couple of years ago, we met a couple of young ladies from Thesaloniki who raved about the “zaharoplastia” which excelled in this gliko. Unfortunatelly, we were unable to take them up on the offer to join them there to taste it.
So, when you go there have one on me.
Kostas
I just made this and it turned out spectacular…can’t wait to share it with my family tomorrow ?
Glad to hear Tienna, enjoy with a scoop of ice cream.