The Lebanese cake made with semolina flour and turmeric is sfouf.
Sfouf is a golden Lebanese semolina cake whose bright yellow color comes from turmeric rather than saffron or artificial coloring. Its batter commonly includes sugar, sesame paste, aniseed, and pine nuts, and baking powder gives the cake a light, firm texture.
The cake is associated with birthdays, family reunions, and religious holidays. Semolina gives sfouf a pleasantly grainy crumb, while turmeric contributes a warm, earthy flavor as well as its color. Pine nuts are often arranged on top before baking, creating a distinctive visual pattern.
Sfouf is frequently confused with basbousa, another semolina-based dessert popular across the Middle East. The important difference is that sfouf is generally served as a cake without the syrup known as qطر or qatir that sweetens basbousa. Other regional recipes vary, but semolina and turmeric remain the defining clues for the Lebanese version.