Traditional namoura is a Lebanese semolina cake that has been soaked in a lemon, rosewater and honey syrup. Gluten free namoura follows a traditional recipe, replacing the semolina with cornmeal.
Gluten free namoura is a simple cake with a rich and full flavour that improves with time. It is the perfect way to cap off a Middle Eastern inspired meal. Serve this rich cake with a cup of Lebanese coffee and cultured whipping cream.
Gluten Free Namoura
This is a traditional Lebanese namoura made with a gluten free twist! It is rich and sweet with the flavours of lemon, rosewater and honey.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: Serves 16 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Fermented
- Cuisine: Lebanese
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups cornmeal
- 1 1/2 cups yogurt
- 2 tbsp butter (melted)
- 2 eggs
- 1 lemon (zest and juice)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
Syrup
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup sugar (optional -see notes)
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp rose water
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Mix the cornmeal and yogurt in a large glass bowl. It is best if the cornmeal is left to soak and ferment for at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours. The liquid should be completely soaked into the cornmeal before the rest of the ingredients are added.
- When ready to bake, mix all of the remaining cake ingredients.
- Grease a 9″ x 7″ baking dish, and pour in the cake batter.
- Score the top of the cake, cutting into square. Dot the top of each square with a whole almond.
- Bake at 450 F for 20-25 minutes. The cake should be cooked through and the edges will be golden.
- While the cake cooks, mix the honey, sugar and water together in a sauce pan
- Bring to a boil and simmer until the sugar is dissolved.
- Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and stir in the butter, rosewater and lemon juice.
- Allow the sauce to cool to room temperature. It should thicken as it cools.
- Pour the cooled sauce over the cake as soon as it has finished cooking. You want the cake to still be hot so it can absorb the honey sauce.
Notes
- To make a sugar free namoura, replace the 1/2 cup of sugar with 1/4 cup of honey. The sauce won’t thicken in the same way as it does with sugar, but it will still taste delicious!
- Feel free to replace the yogurt with buttermilk or milk kefir. The acidity will help break down the corn making it more semolina-like.
Keywords: semolina, namoura, soaked, Middle Eastern, Gluten free, cornmeal, almond, refined sugar free
Can you make this recipe with semolina instead of cornmeal?
Yes! This recipe is a GF version of a traditional semolina cake. However, I haven’t tried it (because I’m GF) so if you do, let me know how it goes!
Hello, I attempted to make the cake but it turned out very thick, solid in fact. Which type of cornmeal do you use? I used FINE and expect that to be the mistake…
Thank you
I did use coarse cornmeal and will update the recipe accordingly. However, it will always be a bit dense. It’s a honey-soaked cake and is best eaten like a pudding, not like a sponge cake. Cheers!