Buna Qurs

Ingredients

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a small 12 cm round cake tin or loaf tin thoroughly with the niter kibbeh for greasing, making sure to coat the corners so the cake releases cleanly.

2. 2

   In a medium bowl, whisk together the teff flour, baking powder, fine salt, ground cinnamon, ground cardamom, and ground fenugreek until the spices are evenly distributed. Breaking up any small lumps now prevents dense pockets later.

3. 3

   In a second bowl, whisk the egg with the honey until smooth and slightly loosened, about 1 minute. Stream in the melted niter kibbeh while whisking so it emulsifies rather than separating, then whisk in the whole milk and vanilla extract.

4. 4

   Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and fold just until no dry streaks remain. Teff has no gluten, so overmixing is less risky than with wheat cake, but vigorous beating can still make the crumb heavy; aim for a thick, pourable batter.

5. 5

   Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake for 22-25 minutes, until the cake is domed, the edges pull away slightly, and a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.

6. 6

   Set the cake on a rack and rest for 8 minutes in the tin. While still warm, brush the top with the remaining honey for a glossy finish and a ceremonial sweetness. Unmold, slice, and serve slightly warm or at room temperature, ideally alongside Ethiopian coffee.

Nutrition per serving

Notes

• •If you cannot find niter kibbeh, use clarified butter plus a tiny pinch of extra cardamom and cinnamon, though the flavor will be less authentic.
• •Fenugreek should be subtle here; too much will taste bitter. Measure carefully, especially in such a small cake.
• •A small metal tin bakes more evenly than a thick ceramic ramekin for this quantity.
• •Serve with black coffee, lightly sweetened coffee, or unsweetened tea to balance the honey-rich crumb.

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