Sweet Syrup Cake (Rovanjia)

Rovanjia is a simple yet delicious Romani dessert — a soft sponge cake soaked in lemon-scented sugar syrup. Sweet, moist, and refreshing, it’s a classic treat for festive occasions.

Skill level

Portion

6

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Dessert

Ingredients

Dough

  • 6 eggs
  • 1 packet baking powder (about 10–12 g)
  • 1 packet vanilla sugar (about 8–10 g)
  • 7 tablespoons flour (about 100 g)
  • Oil (for greasing)

Syrup:

  • 1 liter water
  • 800 g sugar
  • 3 slices of lemon

Procedure

1 h

  1. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the baking powder, vanilla sugar, and flour. Mix until smooth.
  2. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lightly grease with oil. Pour the batter into the tray.
  3. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Bake the cake for about 30 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
  4. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup: In a pot, bring water, sugar, and lemon slices to a boil. Simmer until the sugar fully dissolves, then remove the lemon slices.
  5. Let the baked cake cool slightly, remove the parchment paper, and cut into cubes.
  6. Pour the warm syrup evenly over the cake pieces, allowing it to soak in fully.