Loading ...Sfouf: The Traditional Lebanese Turmeric Cake
By: Leyelle Mosallam / Arab America Contributing Writer
Sfouf is a traditional Lebanese dessert that is commonly made for special occasions such as family reunions and religious holidays. Sfouf is an Arabic word that translates to “lines” or “rows”. The cake gets its name from how the pine nuts are meant to be lined up on top of the cake and how the cake is meant to be sliced, which is into perfectly neat rows to create diamonds or squares. The Lebanese cake is a very light dessert and it is usually enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee.
Sfouf is unique because it is not baked with the many typical ingredients that are used to bake a cake. Sfouf is not baked with butter or eggs, and therefore it can be easily be enjoyed among vegans. Its main ingredient — turmeric — is what helps give the cake its yellow color, as well as its defining and distinct taste.
The traditional Lebanese cake is enjoyed by many in my hometown of Dearborn, Michigan. The recipe below is one my grandma uses to make her sfouf and it is the sfouf that I grew up eating. Sfouf is not a very well-known dessert throughout the country, but if you are looking for a way to get a taste of the Lebanese culture and would like to try something new, I would highly recommend you try this cake.
Ingredients
4 1/2 Cup Flour
3 1/2 Cup of Sugar
1 cup of semolina
1 Tbs of Baking Powder
1 Tbs of Turmeric (yellow dye)
3/4 cup of vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup of milk (whatever milk you prefer)
Pinenuts or Almonds
How to Make Sfouf
Sfouf is very easy to make. You first need to mix together the dry ingredients and then add in the wet ingredients. The cake needs to be baked in a rectangular baking tray in order for the cake to be sliced into that square or diamond shape. The traditional way of greasing the baking tray is with tahini sauce (a Middle Eastern condiment made out of hulled sesame seeds) however, you can also use a non-stick spray such as Pam Oil. As you are mixing your ingredients together, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Once you have mixed your ingredients together, place the batter into the baking tray and place your pinenuts into rows on top of the batter. Place the baking tray into the oven and the cake needs to be baked for about 1 hour.
The cake should look a little bit like this when it is complete!
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