Cypriot · Authentic-ish Cypriot
Ravani
265 kcal a serving, against 463 for the traditional version. That is 198 kcal off, or 43%, with 7.8g of protein. Serves 12. 1 hour 30 minutes.
What the traditional version is
The classic Cypriot ravani is made by creaming butter and sugar, then whisking in eggs, full-fat Greek yoghurt, plain flour and semolina. Orange zest and a little lemon juice go in for brightness.
What changed, and what each change costs
Butter down from 200g to 80g
Butter's carrying most of the luxury here, but you don't need the full block - the eggs and yoghurt do some of the texture work anyway. I cut more than half and let the semolina and yoghurt take the lead.
What it costs you. You lose a lot of the cushiony, bouncy texture. It goes from luxury hotel to a respectable B&B - nice, but no one's Instagramming the bed.
Sugar in the batter from 300g to 120g
Between the syrup and the batter, ravani is a full-on sugar attack. I've halved and halved again for the batter, relying on the syrup to sweeten the rest. You'll taste the orange zest a bit more, and your teeth won't squeak.
What it costs you. It isn't quite the sticky childhood memory. The cake is lighter and more grown-up, and if you like your desserts saccharine, you'll sulk mildly.
Full-fat yoghurt for fat-free Greek yoghurt, 250g
Same volume, more protein, less fat. The tang is there, and the crumb actually firms up a touch. Not magic, just dairy doing its job.
What it costs you. You drop a bit of creamy luxury, but the texture holds. The cake is a bit less rich but still feels like proper pudding.
Syrup cut from 250g sugar and 200ml water to 100g sugar and 200ml water (orange and lemon left in)
The syrup is where most of the trouble lies. I keep all the liquid, but cut the sugar by more than half. This lets the cake soak up the perfume and moisture without turning it into a sticky sugar bomb.
What it costs you. It isn't a soaking fire-hose now. The cake comes out moist, not drenched. You'll need to actually chew, which is no bad thing, but you lose that obscene syrupy ooze.
Eggs cut from 6 (300g) to 4 (200g)
With less sugar and butter, you don't need as many eggs for structure. Still plenty of rise, but it's tipping the balance a touch more towards semolina.
What it costs you. You miss some of that souffle-like puff, but the cake stands tall enough to slice. No one ever called ravani airy, and they won't start now.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 463 | 265 |
| Protein | 8.7g | 7.8g |
| Fat | 17.3g | 7.4g |
| Saturated fat | 9.7g | 4g |
| Carbohydrate | 69.7g | 42g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 1.9g | 3g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Cypriot prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, eggs, milk.
The method is in the book
If you grew up with ravani so wet you could drink it with a straw, you'll notice the difference. This is drier and more cake than syrup, but it still tastes like a celebration. The fat-free yoghurt holds it together and the orange lifts the whole thing. It's not exactly a family argument on a plate, but it gets you most of the way there. For actual parties, make the original and apologise to your dentist later.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Cypriot, along with 47 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.