Shammali

Ingredients
For the syrup
 * 1 glass cooking oil
 * half glass sugar
 * 3 eggs
 * 2 glasses semolina (fine or coarse)
 * 1 glass self raising flour
 * 2 teaspoons baking powder
 * 1 glass milk (you might need less or a little more)
 * about 2 tablespoons roasted split almonds
 * optional: 1 teaspoon almond essence
 * 3 glasses water
 * 2 and a half glasses sugar
 * 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions

 * 1) Make the syrup first: bring the ingredients to the boil, simmer gently for about 20 minutes, leave to cool.
 * 2) Thoroughly whisk all the ingredients for the bake (less the flaked almonds) to a thick batter like consistency (like a sponge cake mixture) - add the milk gradually, stopping when the raw cake mixture is smooth enough.
 * 3) Place mixture in greased tin and sprinkle the almonds on the top. Bake in medium oven (200 C) for about 60 min. until the top is golden brown and the cake shrinks slightly from the sides of the tin. Pour cold syrup over hot cake, leave to cool and cut in squares for serving.