Sfouf (Turmeric Cake)

5 from 325 votes

Sfouf is a Middle Eastern semolina turmeric cake, made with simple ingredients, no eggs and no butter. It's vegan-friendly, light and delightful

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How fun is this cake name? Sfouf! *Too fun*

Sfouf is an arabic word that means lines and it’s used here to describe the way this cake is cut into lines. The cake itself is a semolina-turmeric oil-based yellow cake. It’s a simple plain cake with mild flavors and not at all sweet – the perfect light dessert or snack to go with your cup of coffee!

Plate of sfouf being served
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What do you need to make sfouf?

I learned this sfouf recipe from my mom and my mother-in-law. Both essentially make it the same way, but my mom likes to add rose water to the wet ingredients to give it a fresh aromatic flavor.

You only need a few ingredients to make sfouf. The best part is that it’s egg-free and butter-free. And it’s almost vegan, except for the use of 1 cup of milk. You can easily substitute that milk with plant-based milk or water to make this recipe fully vegan.

It’s a super simple recipe that uses basic baking ingredients, but includes three distinct ingredients:

  1. Turmeric: The turmeric essentially gives the cake a rich yellow color, a sweet and distinct taste, and the added antioxidant benefits. Just one tablespoon of turmeric mixed with the dry ingredients goes a long way.
  2. Semolina: This is a coarse purified wheat that’s usually used to make pasta. You’ll use the semolina in this cake along with flour to add a nutty texture, compared to just using flour alone.
  3. Tahini: This is a paste made from sesame seeds. I use it in this sfouf recipe to coat the pan, instead of oil or butter. It’s so widely available in all stores these days. But if you can’t find it, you can coat the oil with oil or butter instead. It just adds to the richness of the recipe.
Large basket of sfouf cut into squares ready to be served

RECIPE VIDEO TUTORIAL

How do you make sfouf

To start, you’ll want to mix together the dry ingredients: This includes the turmeric and you can see here the color is fairly light before cooking.

Collage of two images showing the dry ingredients before and after mixing

Then comes the wet ingredients. Mix until the sugar dissolves, then combine the wet and dry ingredients together and the batter is ready to go.

Collage of two images showing sfouf batter before and after mixing

A unique step about this recipe is how we coat the pan. Instead of just using cooking spray, we use tahini to coat the pan. This serves two purposes: first it coats the pan with something oily so the batter doesn’t stick to the pan. And second, it gives the cake a nutty flavor that is pretty iconic of the cake. So after spreading the tahini on the baking pan, you can pour the batter over.

Collage of two images showing the pan greased with tahini and the batter getting poured over the tahini

It’s traditional to sprinkle the top of the batter with with raw pine nuts. You can also use almonds, or leave it out completely.

Batter poured into prepared pan and sprinkled with pine nuts

Then you’ll bake the sfouf in the oven for about 30 minutes. Use the pine nuts as a clue to its readiness. You want them golden, but not brown.

Final sfouf recipe right out of the oven showing a rich golden color.

Grab that cup of coffee folks, because it’s sfouf time! You can cut them into squares, rectangles or diamonds – 9 or 12 pieces. The end result is a beautifully colored simple turmeric cake that I grew up eating. It’s one of the most popular Lebanese cakes, and I love how simple it is to make!

Plate of sfouf being served

Notice how the turmeric color became more enhanced after baking? It’s pretty much turmeric cake, and it’s pretty much one of those iconic Lebanese/Middle Eastern desserts that we grew up having. If you’re obsessed with anything turmeric like I am, try my golden milk latte – it’s basically liquid gold in a cup.

Large basket of sfouf cut into squares ready to be served

More Middle Eastern inspired desserts:

If you’ve tried this healthy-ish feel good Sfouf recipe or any other recipe on FeelGoodFoodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories!

Sfouf (Turmeric Cake)

Sfouf is a Middle Eastern semolina turmeric cake, made with simple ingredients, no eggs and no butter. It's vegan-friendly, light and delightful
5 from 325 votes
Servings 16 servings
Course Dessert
Calories 197
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
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Video

Ingredients
  

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375ºF and grease a 9×9" baking pan with the tahini sesame oil or other oil.
  • Mix the dry ingredients (semolina, flour, turmeric and baking powder) together in a large bowl.
  • Mix the wet ingredients (oil, milk and cane sugar) in another small bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved in the mixture.
  • Combine the dry and wet ingredients until batter is smooth and bright yellow. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and sprinkle the pine nuts all over.
  • Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until the pine nuts are golden.
  • Cool on a wire rack and cut into 16 squares or diamond shapes.

Notes

Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will last about 7 days at room temperature or about 10 days in the fridge.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
  • For tahini, you can substitute oil or butter
  • For the coarse semolina, you can also use fine semolina, but don’t use flour instead of semolina because it will not yield the right results
  • For the pine nuts, you can use almonds. Silvered almonds work well and make sure they are raw since they will be getting roasted in the oven.
Sourcing: You can find some of the Middle-Eastern specific items like the semolina and tahini at Middle Eastern markets, natural-foods stores or even in large supermarkets, often located with other Middle Eastern ingredients.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g, Calories: 197kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 7mg, Potassium: 106mg, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 25IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 38mg, Iron: 1.1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Course: Dessert
5 from 325 votes (274 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. Sophia says:

    This looks delicious! I’m planning to make this for my Lebanese boyfriend’s birthday. How much rose water would your mother usually add to it? We both love that flavor and I think it would be a nice touch.

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Aww, I love that you’re making this cake for your boyfriend’s birthday! My mom adds 1-2 tablespoons of rose water with the wet ingredients. Hope you both enjoy!!

  2. Sandra says:

    Sounds delicious! Does it matter what type of milk? Soy, cow, almond, oat…

    Thank you!

    1. Yumna says:

      Yes, any milk you prefer will work!

  3. TT says:

    Looks great. Could we substitute whole wheat flour or cake flour?

    1. Yumna says:

      Hi there, I’m afraid that wouldn’t work out well, semolina is key to the texture of this particular cake.

  4. Julie Hayden says:

    I made this and LOVE it! Couldn’t wait to have it with coffee for breakfast. I did make it keto with almond flour, but it came out amazing!! Thank you, I am venturing into your Lebanese roots and love it!

    1. Yumna says:

      So glad to hear!

  5. Monica P. says:

    I liked this, but thought it was too dense for my personal preference. I’ve made it three times now, and so far my favorite version has reduced the sugar to 2/3 cup, the turmeric to 2 teaspoons, and for the flour, approximately 2/3 cup + 1/6 cup semolina (I ran out) and the balance (a little more than 1 cup) all-purpose flour — for a total of 2 cups for all flours. I also added a tiny dash of salt and baked it at 350° for 25 minutes. It’s great! And I bet I could reduce the sugar even more.

    1. Yumna says:

      Thanks for sharing the tweaks you made, glad it came out to your liking.

  6. AJ says:

    I made it with oat milk and didn’t have enough sugar so I used honey.

  7. AJ says:

    Armenian/Lebanese husband just told me it is as good as what he had in bakeries! Another great recipe!!! Your recipes are very reliable! Always the best! Thank you so much and keep up the good work for us! When is your book coming out? Greetings from Canada!

  8. Paulette says:

    Just love it, turned out real good.
    Used authentic 100 percent turmeric from Israel purchased at a local International grocer. They advised me to only use 1 teaspoon as very pure turmeric. I had no cane sugar thus used Turbinado Sugar in the raw and only put in a half a cup instead of the full cup. Had no pine nuts therefore used pecans. It’s texture resembles of cornmeal bread but way better. Thank you Youmna for sharing your recipes. I’ve also made your home made pita, your garlic sauce (toum), your beef kefta and your fattoush salad. Both my husband and I can’t wait to purchase your cookbook. Thank you so much!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Wow I bet that turmeric is amazing! It warms my heart to hear that you’ve enjoyed so many of my recipes and you’re planning to buy the cookbook. Thank you so much!! I can’t wait! 🙂

  9. Riwa says:

    Best and most authentic Sfouf recipe I have ever tried! It’s definitely a family hit. Thank you Youmna!

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Thank you so much!

  10. Tati says:

    Sweet, sorry to say, but you for got the MAIN ingredient: ground anise!

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Hi Tati, this is a Lebanese version and does not use ground anise. Although that does sound like it would add wonderful flavor.

  11. Sylvia says:

    So I just made this today and I’ll just say that I’m having a hard time believing a cake so simple to make could taste so good! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!

    1. Yumna J. says:

      You’re so welcome!

  12. Sylvia says:

    This recipe looks great! A quick question: would coconut oil work as a substitute for the vegetable oil called for in the recipe? That’s the only oil I have on hand right now…

    1. Yumna J. says:

      I have not made this recipe with coconut oil, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. Hope you enjoy!

  13. James says:

    Great recipe! Was very delicious. If I were to double the recipe, what size cake pan would you suggest?
    Thanks,
    James

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Thank you so much, James. I would use two 9×9 pans, either round or square. Hope you enjoy!

  14. Nad says:

    Thank you Yumna for this great recipe!! It reminded me of my childhood days 🙂 Only for this cake, my mother would let us taste the batter before baking because it contained no raw eggs 😀

    One question please, do you think next time I can substitute the cane sugar for maple syrup or grape/date molasses?

    Thank you!

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Aww yay, this is one of my favorites growing up as well! I’ve never used liquid syrup in this recipe, but I think it should be ok. If you find that the batter is too runny, add 2 tablespoons of flour to it. Let me know if you end up trying one of those suggestions.

      1. Nad says:

        Will let you know for sure 🙂
        thanks again!

  15. Mona says:

    Hi, I substituted the milk with 2 cups of almond milk. How would you say that affected the calories per serving? 1 cup of almond milk is 30 calories

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      If you substitute 1 cup of milk for 2 cups of almond milk (each cup being 30 calories), each serving (1/16 of the recipe) should be around 177.6 calories.

  16. Ala says:

    What could be a substitute for natural milk? That would not change the taste.
    For someone who has a low tolerance for dairy products.

    Thank you

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      You can easily substitute natural milk with plant-based milk or water to make this recipe fully vegan.

  17. Kathleen says:

    I want to try the Turmeric Cake and wondering if you can recommend a coarse semolina flour? Bob’s Red Mill is something that I found locally but it says it’s for pasta. I can find other brands that I can get delivered on Walmart/Amazon sites (Rani Sooji , Melissa, Hemani Sooji). Wondering what you use? Thanks 🙂

  18. Dana says:

    Hi Yumna! I want to make this recipe for Ramadan this month, but I was hoping you could confirm if I can substitute semolina flour for almond flour. I understand semolina is used for its gluten properties to make the bread fluffy so I’m not sure if almond flour would work.

    Thanks so much.

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Hi! Unfortunately I haven’t tried this recipe with almond flour yet, so I’m not sure how it’ll turn out.

  19. Shaarmayne says:

    Hello thanks for sharing this recipe! Can you freeze the Sfouf cake for future use? Thanks

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      You’re so welcome! Yes, you should be able to!

  20. Lilah says:

    Oh. My. Gosh. YUM!!!! I just made this after having the page bookmarked for a couple months. A local bakery makes a turmeric muffin/cake and I wanted something similar and this totally hits the spot! I used fine semolina (I think. 🤔 it was bobs red mill) and sesame seeds on top. I will definitely be making this again and will put both sesame and poppy seeds on top. MAKE THIS!!!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      So glad you got around to making it and enjoyed! Yay!!

      1. Lilah says:

        I do have a question about mine! I baked mine even longer than the 35 minutes and it seemed to be undercooked in the middle and fine around the edges. Still totally edible but kind of gooey. Any idea why that would’ve happened?

  21. Rana says:

    Can I use powder milk with water instead of fresh milk?

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      I have not tried this recipe with powdered milk yet. The milk is necessary though because it adds moisture.

  22. Kathleen Lance says:

    I made your recipe today. The flavour is wonderful but the colour is strange. Instead of a pale yellow, it’s quite orange.

    Do you have any thoughts on why that happened?

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Yay! It could be the turmeric.

  23. Sandie says:

    Amazing and simple yet so divine! My téta would be proud! I’m substituted sugar with honey though 💕 thank u for sharing

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Thank you so much! Glad it worked out with the honey. You’re so welcome!

    2. Rana says:

      Hi can I know please how much honey did you add?

      1. Nayla says:

        I love the cake; I do it but with anis water instead of milk and I add rose water.

        1. Yumna Jawad says:

          That sounds delicious too!

  24. MK says:

    Wow. I’ve had this bookmarked for literally months and I finally made it. It’s incredible. what a delightful tea cake

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      So glad you finally made it and enjoyed it!

  25. Yasmine says:

    Perfect ❤️

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Thank you!

  26. Andy says:

    Thank you for this amazing recipe, so delicious! Can I freeze it?

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      You’re so welcome! You could freeze it, but instead, I’d recommend storing any leftovers in an airtight container, and it will last about 7 days at room temperature or about 10 days in the fridge.

  27. Sarah says:

    Hi,

    I made this cake yesterday but it tastes quite bland. Is it because I used gluten free all purpose flour and olive oil?
    I want to get it right as the consistency turned out great!
    Thank you

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Making either of those substitutions should’ve have made it bland. Sfouf is a simple plain cake with mild flavors and not at all sweet!

  28. atouj says:

    bonjour, cette recette et super! I valid xoxo

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Thank you!

  29. NurFi says:

    I tried this today and I can NOT stress enough on how good it came out!! Added a dash of fresh grated ginger and used peanuts on top instead of pine nuts/almonds since I ran out of both😁 sprinkled some coconut shreds on top too! 🙂 Excellent recipe Yumna! Keep ‘em coming❤️

    1. Yumna J. says:

      That makes me so happy to hear! I love how you personalized it! Thank you.

    2. atouj says:

      bonjour, cette recette et super! I valid xoxo

      1. Yumna J. says:

        Thank you so much!

  30. Chetika says:

    Ok the Sfouf recipe is my absolute favourite. Super simple to make, super light and delicious. If you love turmeric and don’t have much of a sweet tooth, this is a must-try! Light turmeric flavour, not crumbly and a snack that pairs well with warm (turmeric and honey optional) milk, coffee and tea! I’ve had 4 pieces already 😂 and my sweet tooth eaters loved it too!

    1. Yumna J. says:

      That makes me so happy to hear! I love enjoying it those ways too!

  31. Zeina says:

    I just love this recipe and will make it for the second time today—so easy and delicious! I’ve tried several of your recipes (including sayadieh and chicken lemon rice soup) and they have all been so delicious and family approved. Thank you, Yumna!

    1. Yumna J. says:

      That’s amazing! Thank you!

  32. Chloe says:

    I never usually leave reviews but honestly this cake deserves to get my five stars! It was so quick and simple to make, I love that it can be made vegan, and all the ingredients were things I had to hand, even the tin was a straightforward size (I never usually have the right thing!). The video was super helpful too, and I appreciated being able to hear how to pronounce sfouf too so I can tell my family what they’re eating! Definitely a recipe I’ll come back to, delicious with a coffee and to whip up quickly as an alternative to a bog standard sponge cake. Thank you so much for sharing!

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Thank you so much for sharing this with me! This all makes me so happy to hear! You’re so welcome!

  33. Tina says:

    This recipe is super quick and easy and they came out PERFECT! A must try!

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Yay! Thank you so much!

  34. hanane says:

    helllo,
    i tried your sfouf recipe and it’s so good! the best i tried so far 😀.
    i love your page 👍🏻 keep going❤️

    1. Yumna J. says:

      Yay! Thank you so much for all the support!!

  35. Ada says:

    I have to say that I’ve never thought that I would make sfouf until I found feelgoodfoodie 🤩! It is the yumiest and easiest recipe !! Finally my husband can eat “sfouf” now without waiting for his grandmother to make it for him 😋 ! Thank you for always sharing yumii recipes that are easy to make!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Hahaha yes! So glad to hear that! Thank you 🙂

  36. Sanchi says:

    I remember finding your page through YouTube, back when shelter in place had just begun and I wanted to bake banana chocolate chip cookies! Ever since I started following you on Instagram, I have visited your page almost everyday, and I am NOT exaggerating. I am a huge admirer of your work and I absolutely LOVE all your creations. I’ve cooked so many of your recipes but I realised that I’ve never reached out to thank you. You have inspired me to make better food choices and further enhanced my love for cooking. I’m pretty young still but I hope someday I’m able to make my own uniquely wonderful creations, like you do! Thank you for taking the time to share such great recipes with us.
    P.S. I made Sfouf today and it’s melting in my mouth as I type this message. I substituted pine nuts with sliced almonds. This cake has such a unique flavour and is SO delicious!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Aww that makes me so happy to hear! Thank you!!

  37. Sharan kaur says:

    Made it today and turned out absolutely delicious. Kept it in the oven for a few extra minutes after turning off and it have a more outer crunchy texture which the whole family enjoyed!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      So glad you all enjoyed it! Thank you!

  38. DM says:

    This recipe worked perfectly and was delicious. I liked the addition of the sesame paste and the fact it was egg free. Simple but sophisticated taste. Thanks for this idea.

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      So glad you tried it and enjoyed it! Thank you 🙂

  39. Nikita Sharma says:

    Hi. i tried this sfouf cake. Turned out awesome. Everybody loved it. Thanks for the recipe. Sooo Good!! ❤️❤️

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      So glad to hear it! Thank you!

  40. Komathi says:

    I had to try out this cake as I was quite confident with it and I had all the ingredients in hand. Except for tahini and pine nuts, for which I’ve substituted with coconut oil and almond nibs as recommended. Yummmm! Very few ingredients, no mixer needed hence less washing 😜. Perfect!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Yay! I’m so glad you made it and enjoyed it! Thank you so much for leaving a review 🙂

  41. Cooking_with_eta says:

    Hi! I tried the sfouf recipe and it turned out perfect. Not very sweet just enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. I’ve tried many of your recipes as our cuisine is similar to yours and I loved every recipe.

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      That makes me so happy to hear! Thank you!

  42. Farah says:

    I tried the sfouf recipe and tasted sooo goood! Thank you

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!

  43. Mirna says:

    Hi! Just wanted to say how much I love your recipes. I followed your Sfouf recipe and they tured out AMAZING!! Patiently waiting on your cooking book 😉

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Aww thank you so much!! I truly appreciate your feedback!!

  44. Nisrine Ghosn says:

    Good morning Mrs. Yumna. I’m glad to know that you’re Lebanese. I was seeing how to make turmeric banana bread & you mentioned the sfouf. So I browsed and saw your recipes.
    Good luck.
    Nisrine Khawand Ghosn

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Thank you!

  45. Rana Samadi says:

    Hi Yumna I would love try it with honey instead of sugar. How much honey did you put?

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      I’ve never made it with honey before but you can try the same amount and see how it goes.

  46. Astrid Verhue says:

    Hi! I just made this cake after trying it in Lebanon, and I’m in love with the taste!! However, my cake turned out a little crunchy 🙁 I think it might be the semolina? Do you have any idea what could have caused this or how to prevent it? Either way I will definitely make this again!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Oh it’s possible you didn’t use fine semolina? What did it say on the bag?

  47. Josh says:

    When you say a 9” pan, do you mean a standard 9×13 baking pan or a 9×9 pan?

    Thanks!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Sorry for the confusion, I used 9×9 baking pan. I just clarified it in the recipe card now. Thank you.

      1. Jade says:

        Can I please ask if the cooking time or anything changes if I use a 9 inch round baking pan?

        1. Yumna Jawad says:

          It should still be done within the 30-35 minutes bake time.

          1. Jade says:

            Thank you

          2. Yumna Jawad says:

            You’re welcome!

  48. Linda says:

    I made a half recipe of the Sfouf using high altitude adjustments for 5,000 feet and it worked out very well (although admittedly, I have not made the cake without the adjustments, so I have nothing to compare–it might be fine without the adjustments, as well). I didn’t have canola oil, so I used olive oil and added a little ground cardamom (I also used soy milk). The flavor turned out slightly lemony–very pleasant. I’m thinking of making this again, but with canola oil, and adding a little almond extract along with the cardamom. Thanks so much for sharing this happily-vegan cake! It’s a wonderful and versatile recipe.

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      I’m so glad it worked out for you with the high altitude adjustments. I love the idea of adding almond extract and cardamom with this – it would go so well with the turmeric!

  49. Silvana Mcculloch says:

    Is there a healthier alternative to sugar that you can recommend?

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      I have not tried it with another kind so it’s hard to know what will work.

  50. Linda says:

    I have two questions: 1) Can I substitute with soy milk? and 2) Do I need to adjust for high altitude baking (5,000 ft)? This sounds delicious–

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Yes you can substitute with soy milk. And I’m really not sure about high altitude baking unfortunately but I would say if you normally do adjust, then it’s a good idea to do so here as well!

  51. Ethan says:

    I just discovered the glory that is turmeric and found this recipe. I made it exactly as indicated, with pine nuts. What can I say….this is simply delicious. De Lish Us. It has this wonderful aftertaste…10 minutes after eating a piece it still resonates on your palette. I am going to make this all the time. I am forever in your debt.

    One word of warning. Being the impatient sort I failed to stir the sugar until completely dissolved and there is a grainy sugar component, but that is my fault. OMG I’m gonna eat this whole pan.

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Hahaha your comment made me smile!! You’re the best and thank you so much for sharing your feedback. I’m so happy that you loved it and that you’ll be making it again! It’s so simple and delicious — totally agree!!

      1. Ethan says:

        Having now made this many times, I think I prefer to grease the pan with butter. To me, the tahini mellows the turmeric. It is still very very delicious but I prefer the turmeric forward flavor I get when I grease the pan with butter. Also I eat this for breakfast with coffee, so looking for more of a savory flavor. Either way you make it you cant go wrong. This also good at bedtime with some Moroccan mint tea.

        1. Yumna Jawad says:

          That totally makes sense! I agree it’s so good with some mint tea!

  52. Nadin says:

    Hi Yumna! I just wanted to let you know that I made Sfouf with honey instead of sugar and it tasted amazing! Its infused with flavour, thank you so much for all your recipes and all your amazing advise. This cake is a must and its guiltless as well! Next am trying your pistachio cookies:)!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      So glad to hear you liked it. Thank you for sharing!!

      1. Destiny Mouawad says:

        I’ve made this recipe so many times and all I can say is WOW! I live in Lebanon and I’ve tried some recipes from others yet this has such balanced notes of everything! I really love the way these turn out and I whip this up in 10 minutes really simple and flavor explodes!
        One thing is that I use half a cup of milk and half a cup of anise tea!
        Thank you for an amazing recipe 🙌🏼💙

        1. Yumna Jawad says:

          So glad to hear that you’ve made this so often. Thanks so much for sharing your feedback! And I love that you add anise tea to it..great idea!

  53. Hollynn says:

    I make this for my husband and in-laws who are from Beirut and they love it and ask me to make it for them all the time. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Yay, I’m so glad to hear it. Thank you!

  54. Rebbeca Nahle says:

    Made this today and let me just say – amazing! It’s a wonderful accompaniment with tea. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. What are your thoughts about incorporating rose or orange blossom water? And if so, how much?

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      So glad you liked it!! And yes, I love adding rose or orange blossom water. I would add 1-2 tablespoons of it with the wet ingredients.

  55. j says:

    never tasted sfouf or turmeric in any cake before so decided to give this a try, though my first intention was to use the unused semolina flour in the pantry.
    turned out i had run out of turmeric (facepalm) so i used my homemade golden latte spice blend instead, figured its predominately turmeric anyway with some extra warming spices that wouldn’t hurt?
    threw in some raisins as well and topped with black sesame seeds (didn’t have pine nuts…T_T) it turned out SO NICE!!!!
    the texture is so good, the flavor profile was so unique – i’m definitely keeping this recipe! also the tahini trick is like magic? 🙂 thank you for sharing this!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      I’m so glad you liked it! What a fun new recipe to try and I love that you added some raisins to it. Thanks so much for sharing!!

  56. Brenda says:

    Thank you for sharing the recipes my family loved it !!!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      So glad to hear it!

  57. Noma Dek says:

    I really love your recipe. It turned out pretty good. I’m actually writing an article on Turmeric and would like to share this recipe on it. I’ll redirect and give credit so my readers can also enjoy it too. Thank you Yumna ♥️

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much and you are welcome to share it with your readers. Thank you!!

  58. Abeer says:

    I just tried and love it. Thanks for awesome recipe ?

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      So glad to hear it. Thank you!

      1. Kirsty Blell says:

        Hi, made this cake today as my daughters class are taking foods from different countries and seen as her Grandfather is from Lebanese this looked like a great recipe to try. I’m in the UK and googled the measurements conversions and it gave me 200g for the caster sugar. Does this seem right to you as it was mentioned that it was particularly a sweet cake? Tasted lovely though 🙂

        1. Yumna Jawad says:

          It looks like it’s the right conversion! Glad you enjoyed the taste!

  59. Nina says:

    What can I swap the milk with as I want it vegan

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      You can use plant-based milk.

  60. Elizabeth says:

    We’ll see how well this works. I had all the ingredients except semolina flour, so I made your recipe using corn grits (polenta) instead of semolina, thinking the texture would make it work and the yellow color wouldn’t matter. The edge looks similar to your pictures. I know it won’t be quite the same as the traditional recipe. It’s still in the oven, but looking good!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Oooo interesting!! Keep me posted if it works!!

  61. Leb says:

    My grandma used to add ground coconut to it while my mom used anise water instead of milk. I, with very minimal baking experience, was able to make that cake and it was delicious!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      So glad to hear you were able to make it and enjoy it! And yes I’ve heard it being made with coconut as well, you should definitely try that next time or at least sprinkle it on top!

  62. Sara says:

    Hi Yumna,
    I followed the same receipe but substituted canola oil with coconut oil (1/3 cup) and sugar with 3 tbsp of honey. But it tasted anything nothing like sfouf ?. Any other tips? Thank you, Sara

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Those are pretty big substitutions unfortunately. You can’t substitute the liquid sweetener for the granulated sweetener. It affects the taste and the consistency. And also, it’s possible that the coconut oil affected the taste of the recipe because it’s important to use a neutral oil like canola, vegetable, grapeseed or safflower for example. I would recommend trying it again if you can use the ingredients I used because it will be much better.

  63. Christine says:

    I searched around the internet for recipes that would use a bag of King Arthur durum flour that has been in my pantry for a while. Thankfully I landed on your recipe. I’ve never used turmeric in dessert, so that was a surprising flavor. I really enjoy the texture of this cake and the fact that it is not too sweet. As you mentioned, it is the perfect afternoon snack with a cup of hot tea. I loved the flavor that the tahini added to the cake and I might try using tahini to “oil” the pan for other cakes. Next time I make this, I will try the anise or rose versions, or maybe even some almond extract. Thanks for sharing this lovely recipe.

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Hi Christine – that’s so cool how you found the recipe because of wanting to use the durum flour you had! I’m so glad that you enjoyed the flavors. It’s one that reminds me of my childhood so I’m so happy to share it! Thank you for taking the time to share your experience 🙂

  64. Chahrazad says:

    Thanks Yumna! I used the same ingredients. The package said course semolina but it looked fine to me. I also used a large pan. I’m trying it out today with a smaller pan.

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Oh great…I hope it works! I used a square pan 8×8 or 9×9

      1. Em says:

        My Lebanese friends loved this when I made it for them! And the rest of us who were new to it loved it! Just wondered if it can be frozen??

        1. Yumna Jawad says:

          Yay! I’m so happy to hear that. And yes, they can absolutely be frozen. To thaw, just leave in the fridge overnight.

  65. Chahrazad says:

    I just tried it but it came out hard to cut (although soft in the center) and crumbly could you please advise me what I’ve done wrong? Maybe overcooked it

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Sorry to hear that. Can you tell me about what ingredients or steps you may have tweaked? It might be the type of semolina you used?

  66. Sola Nader says:

    I made my version which is very close to yours but Could you please tell me why mine came out wet and undercook eventhough I left it half hour in 350 oven could it be wrong temperature? I doubled it too to make bigger tray but the end result wasn’t as I expected.

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Yes, in the directions, I included it should be 375 for 30-35 minutes. So it looks like it was undercooked

  67. Helen Majdalany says:

    My grand’ma used to boil a tablespoon of anis seeds with a cup and a half of water, add the cup of sugar to it to dissolve than add that to the dry ingredients of the Sfouf. She never added milk. The anis adds a very nice flavor to the Sfouf.

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Oh I love that idea! I want to try it next time. Thanks for sharing 🙂

  68. Martha Al Hajje Hassan says:

    I’ve made this recipe several times. Easy to follow and everyone loves it. Thank you!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      So happy to hear that you’ve made it so often and loved it!! Thank you for sharing!

  69. Agata says:

    I’ve been looking for a perfect sfouf recipe to make for my Lebanese boyfriend and I think I found it!
    You mentioned that your mom adds rose water to the wet ingredients and I’d like to do that as well. One tablespoon would probably be enough, what do you think?

    Thank you for a great recipe! 🙂

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      I’m so glad to hear it and I hope you and your boyfriend love the recipe. Yes, I would do 1 tablespoon for the rosewater. Enjoy!

  70. Isha says:

    This recipe sounds delicious! To make this fully vegan, do we substitute the 1 cup of milk with 1 cup of water? Would it also be okay to use almond milk instead of water? Thanks in advance!

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Yes, you can any kind of milk or just water! Hope you like it!

  71. Dugdale McVey says:

    This looks great, and I plan to try it as soon as I can get out to the store to buy semolina flour.

    I think there is an error in your nutritional values: you show that each slice contains 1.5 gm of sugar. However: the recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, which is the equivalent of 16 tbsp; which means that each serving would include 1 Tbsp. And, 1 tbsp of sugar is about 15 gm, not 1.5 gm. Perhaps a decimal point slipped in during the recording of the info?

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Hi there, you’re so right…the sugar was actually left off the nutrition information by accident! Thank so much for pointing it out and I just updated it so it’s now correct.

  72. Marjm says:

    Is there a way to use gf flour? Chickpea flour or cornmeal to make it gf

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Unfortunately semolina is not gluten-free and it’s an important part of the recipe. However, I would love to see you try it with a gluten free flour and let me know how it works!!

  73. Meemo says:

    Followed your recipe and got to enjoy the best coffee companion: Sfouf
    Can’t stop eating it. Delicious

    1. Yumna Jawad says:

      Thank you!!