{"id":6529,"date":"2023-04-24T22:02:54","date_gmt":"2023-04-24T22:02:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hadiaslebanesecuisine.com\/blog\/?p=6529"},"modified":"2026-05-16T22:15:33","modified_gmt":"2026-05-16T22:15:33","slug":"sfouf-lebanese-turmeric-cake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hadiaslebanesecuisine.com\/blog\/sfouf-lebanese-turmeric-cake\/","title":{"rendered":"Sfouf, Lebanese Turmeric Cake"},"content":{"rendered":"

To say that sfouf is my favorite food of all time would be one of the least exaggerating things I\u2019ve ever said. Because it\u2019s true. I enjoy a lot of sweets, but this is the one that wraps up comfort and nostalgia for me in every bite\u2014 there\u2019s nothing that screams childhood more than sfouf! This Lebanese yellow sheet cake was always a major part of any family gathering, ultimately, my favorite memories are tied to those afternoon gatherings at my granny\u2019s house chatting, laughing and eating with my sisters and cousins. Granny or teta Roro as we used to call her, would put the sfouf bars in her vintage china plate patterned with Romeo and Juliette that she set up for special occasions with an extensive set including an assortment of serving dishes and teacups, she would branch out often with desserts such as rice pudding, meghli, namoura, mouhalabieh and other desserts she made most often. It just amazes me how much food is embedded into happy memories. I hope this sfouf recipe brings you and your loved ones the same joy each time you enjoy it.<\/p>\n

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Any occasion is more celebratory with this yellow Lebanese sheet cake that is called sfouf, it is the kind typically brought to gatherings in Lebanon and served with a cup of coffee or tea, flavorful enough to serve plain.<\/p>\n

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Ratio of flour to semolina!<\/h2>\n

One of my first arguments with my husband, thirty years ago, was about sfouf. \u201cThese are not the typical sfouf sold in sweet shops in Lebanon\u201d he said, pointing disdainfully at the sfouf plate I made back then: \u201cThey should be a bit dense and should have a yellow color, rather than that orange striking interior.\u201d Now there is always a debate here in sfouf making among folks in Lebanon about the ratio of flour to semolina!\u00a0 If your goal is to achieve a fluffy sfouf result, then you can go for equal amounts of flour and semolina, but to tell the truth, my husband is right,\u00a0authentic sfouf<\/strong>\u00a0should be tender but a bit on the dense side with a cakey firm texture, just like the ones we grew up eating in Beirut. You shouldn\u2019t end up with a fluffy texture. Through trial and error, I came up with 2 favorite versions that I hold on since both works well. One appears in my cookbook, and the other I will be graciously sharing it with you in today\u2019s post! It\u2019s a one-bowl that comes together quickly, requires just few ingredients and takes less than an hour from start to finish! It\u2019s also pretty foolproof to make as you mix together all the ingredients, pour the batter into a cake pan, and bake. I make it often, for fancy dinner parties or afternoon snacking, birthdays or brunches.<\/p>\n

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Grease your cake pan with tahini<\/h2>\n

Greasing your cake pan with tahini not only will prevent the sfouf from sticking when you bake, it also tastes good. Brush the tahini all over the surface of the pan, don\u2019t let any part of the inside of the pan go ungreased. If tahini is not available, you can still grease with a piece of butter!<\/p>\n

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These ingredients make an appearance in sfouf<\/h2>\n