Easy Homemade Cyprus Dessert

Last updated Feb 13, 2025 7 0

Get ready to create a truly delightful dessert right in your own kitchen! This Cyprus Dessert, inspired by classic recipes, is surprisingly simple to make, even for those just starting their baking journey. Imagine a moist, flavorful cake base topped with a smooth, creamy layer and a sprinkle of coconut. This is a wonderful halal treat that’s perfect for sharing with family and friends.

Halal Ingredients You’ll Need

Before starting, gather all the necessary ingredients. This recipe uses common ingredients that are likely already in your kitchen. Remember to always check the packaging of ingredients like baking powder and vanilla extract to ensure they are certified halal.

🥚 3 Eggs (at room temperature)
🍚 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
🌻 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil (like sunflower or canola oil)
🥥 1 cup Shredded Coconut
🍞 1 cup Breadcrumbs (galeta unu) – Plain, unseasoned breadcrumbs.
🌰 1 cup Walnuts (finely ground)
🥄 1 packet Baking Powder (usually around 10 grams)
🥛 1 liter Milk
🌽 1 cup Cornstarch
🍚 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar (for the cream)
🍦 1 packet Vanilla Sugar or 1 teaspoon alcohol free Vanilla Extract
☁️ 1 packet Whipped Cream Powder (krem şanti)
💧 1.5 cups Water
🍚 1 cup Granulated Sugar (for the syrup)
🍋 2 drops Fresh Lemon Juice
🥥 1 cup Shredded Coconut (for topping)
🍓 Fresh Strawberry (for garnish, optional)

Kitchen Equipment

Having the right tools makes baking easier and more enjoyable. For this Cyprus Dessert, you will need these basic kitchen items:

🥣 Mixing Bowls (various sizes)
🥄 Measuring Cups and Spoons
🥚 Whisk or Fork
🥄 Spatula or Spoon
🧽 Baking Pan (approximately 9×13 inches)
🔥 Oven
♨️ Stovetop Pot
🧊 Refrigerator

Let’s Learn Basic Kitchen Techniques

If you’re new to baking, don’t worry! This recipe uses very simple techniques. Let’s quickly understand a few terms you’ll encounter:

Room Temperature Ingredients: Ingredients like eggs are easier to mix into a batter when they are not too cold. Take eggs out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you start baking to let them warm up a bit.
Whisking: This means mixing ingredients together quickly using a whisk (a kitchen tool with loops of wire) or even a fork. You’ll whisk eggs and sugar to make them light and airy.
Folding: This is a gentle way to mix ingredients, especially when you want to keep air in a mixture. You use a spatula or spoon to gently combine ingredients without stirring too hard. Imagine you are carefully turning the ingredients over on top of each other.
Preheating the Oven: Before baking, you need to heat the oven to the right temperature. “Preheating” means turning on the oven ahead of time so it reaches the correct temperature before you put your dessert in to bake.
Simmering: This means to cook a liquid gently over low heat, so it bubbles very softly. You’ll simmer the syrup ingredients to make the syrup.
Dissolving Sugar: When a recipe says to “dissolve sugar,” it means to stir sugar into a liquid until you can no longer see or feel the sugar grains. It blends completely into the liquid.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Cyprus Dessert

Let’s bake this delicious Cyprus Dessert step by step. Take your time and enjoy the process!

Step 1: Making the Syrup (Şerbeti)

The syrup needs to be cold when poured over the hot cake, so it’s best to make it first.

In a stovetop pot, pour 1.5 cups of water and 1 cup of sugar.
Place the pot on the stovetop over medium heat.
Stir the mixture gently with a spoon until the sugar is completely dissolved. You will no longer see sugar grains at the bottom of the pot.
Once the sugar is dissolved, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. This means you’ll see small bubbles forming slowly at the surface.
Let the syrup simmer for about 15 minutes. Simmering helps the syrup thicken slightly.
After 15 minutes, remove the pot from the heat.
Add 2 drops of fresh lemon juice to the hot syrup. This helps prevent the syrup from becoming too sugary when it cools. Stir it in.
Set the syrup aside to cool completely. It should be cold before you use it.

Step 2: Preparing the Cake Base

Now, let’s make the base of our dessert – the cake!

Preheat your oven to 320°F (160°C). This is important to do before you start mixing the cake batter so the oven is ready when you are.
Take your baking pan and lightly grease it with vegetable oil. This will prevent the cake from sticking to the pan. You can use your fingers or a piece of paper towel to spread a thin layer of oil all over the bottom and sides of the pan.
In a mixing bowl, crack 3 eggs. Make sure no pieces of eggshell fall into the bowl.
Add 1/2 cup of granulated sugar to the eggs.
Using a whisk or a fork, whisk the eggs and sugar together until they become pale yellow and slightly fluffy. This usually takes a minute or two.
Pour 1/2 cup of vegetable oil into the bowl.
Add 1 cup of shredded coconut.
Add 1 cup of breadcrumbs.
Add 1 cup of finely ground walnuts.
Add 1 packet of baking powder.
Using a spatula or spoon, gently fold all the ingredients together until just combined. Do not overmix. You want everything to be mixed in, but still light.
Pour the cake batter evenly into the greased baking pan. Spread it out with your spatula if needed to make it even.
Place the baking pan in the preheated oven.
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. To check if the cake is done, carefully insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake. If it comes out with just a few moist crumbs, it’s ready. If it comes out wet, it needs to bake a little longer.
Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool slightly in the pan.

Step 3: Soaking the Cake with Syrup

This step makes the cake wonderfully moist and flavorful.

While the cake is still warm (but not piping hot, slightly cooled), slowly pour the cold syrup evenly over the entire surface of the cake.
Let the cake sit and absorb the syrup completely. This may take about 30-40 minutes. You’ll notice the syrup disappearing into the cake.

Step 4: Making the Cream Topping

Now we will prepare the creamy topping that makes this dessert extra special.

In a clean stovetop pot, pour 1 liter of milk.
Add 1 cup of cornstarch.
Add 1/4 cup of granulated sugar (for the cream).
Place the pot on the stovetop over medium heat.
Stir the milk mixture constantly with a whisk or spoon. This is important to prevent lumps from forming.
Continue stirring as the mixture heats up and thickens. It will gradually become like a pudding or custard.
Once the cream has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon (meaning it’s thick enough that if you dip a spoon in and run your finger down the back, the line stays), remove the pot from the heat.
Stir in 1 packet of vanilla sugar or 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix well.
Let the cream cool slightly for about 5-10 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk 1 packet of whipped cream powder (krem şanti) according to the package instructions. Usually, this involves mixing the powder with cold milk or water until it becomes thick and fluffy.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the slightly cooled cream mixture. This will make the cream topping light and airy.

Step 5: Assembling and Decorating

Almost there! Let’s put the finishing touches on our Cyprus Dessert.

Once the cake has fully absorbed the syrup, spread the cream topping evenly over the top of the cake. Use a spatula or spoon to make it smooth. Refer to the image to see how the cream covers the cake.
Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded coconut evenly over the cream topping.
For a visual touch similar to the image, you can optionally use finely ground pistachios instead of, or in addition to, the coconut.
If you like, you can garnish the dessert with a fresh strawberry, as shown in the image, or other fresh fruits if you prefer.

Step 6: Chilling and Serving

The final step is to chill the dessert, which makes it even more delicious!

Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap or a lid.
Place the Cyprus Dessert in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2-3 hours, or preferably overnight. Chilling allows the flavors to blend together and the dessert to set properly.
When ready to serve, cut the Cyprus Dessert into squares or rectangles.
Serve cold and enjoy this wonderful homemade halal treat!

Tips for Success

Room Temperature is Key: Using room temperature eggs helps create a lighter and fluffier cake base.
Cold Syrup, Warm Cake: Pouring cold syrup over the warm cake ensures proper absorption and prevents the cake from becoming soggy.
Don’t Overmix the Cake Batter: Overmixing can make the cake tough. Mix just until the ingredients are combined.
Chill Time is Important: Chilling the dessert for a few hours is crucial for the flavors to meld and for the cream to set properly.
Adjust Sweetness: If you prefer a less sweet dessert, you can slightly reduce the amount of sugar in the syrup.

Enjoy Your Homemade Halal Cyprus Dessert!

Congratulations! You’ve just baked a beautiful and delicious Cyprus Dessert from scratch. This recipe is a wonderful way to enjoy homemade halal baking and share something special with those you care about. Don’t be afraid to try it and make it your own. Baking is a joyful experience, and sharing your creations is even more rewarding. Feel free to share pictures of your Cyprus Dessert with friends and family – they are sure to be impressed!