Sfouf is a Lebanese cake made with semolina (farkha), flour and flavored with turmeric, sugar, and pine nuts. It is a traditional and light cake, easy to prepare and scrumptious! This cake is mixed in one bowl and does not require any special efforts to be made!
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup semolina flour (farkha)
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups warm milk
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- dash of anise seeds powder (optional)
- Pine nuts or slivered almonds to decorate the top of the cake
- 2 teaspoons Tahini paste (to grease bottom and sides of a baking pan)
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine the flour, semolina, turmeric and baking powder in a bowl.
In another bowl put the milk and sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
- Add the canola oil to the milk mixture and combine well.
- Add the milk to the flour mixture and stir for few minutes. You will notice that the mixture is still runny and has turned yellow.
- Rub the tahini in the bottom and over the sides of a stainless steel baking tray – approximately 25 cm wide and 35 cm long
- Stir the sfouf one more time and pour evenly into the baking tray.
- Sprinkle the pine nuts or almonds pieces on top and put on the lower rack of your preheated oven.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and leave to cool down
- Cut the sfouf into small square or diamond-shaped pieces and serve cold with mint tea or coffee.
Bon Appetit!
P.S: I let the unbaked mixture rest in the pan for 15 minutes before baking to allow the semolina to expand and absorb some of the liquid.