Vegan Sfouf Cake


Lebanese Turmeric and Semolina Cake

Our vegan sfouf cake is as delicious as the classic Lebanese semolina cake but made without eggs, dairy, or refined sugar. Super spongy and with a wonderful orange and anise aroma, it's simply irresistible.

Vegan Sfouf Cake (Lebanese Semolina Cake)

Info

Nutrition per serving
NutrientAmountRDA
Net Carbs24.2 g8.8%
of which Sugars3.5 g3.9%
Fibers1.3 g4.5%
Fats4.8 g7.4%
of which Saturates0.7 g3.3%
of which Omega 30 g3.5%
Proteins3.7 g8.1%
Calcium133 mg13.3%
Vitamin A0 mcg0%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Iron1.5 mg10.2%
Potassium92 mg2.6%
Sodium208 mg9.1%
Cholesterol0 mg0%
Kcal155 7.8%
Macro split
  • net carbs 71%
  • sugars 10%
  • fats 14%
  • saturates 2%
  • proteins 11%
  • fibers 4%
*RDA based on a 2000 kcal diet;
**Nutritional data sources: USDA, food labels.
KCAL
155 per serving
TIME
1h 25m
HEALTH

Did you ever bake sfouf before? Boy, oh boy. You're in for a treat! Sfouf is a Lebanese cake made with semolina and turmeric. What we'll do here is show you how to turn this classic Levantine treat both vegan and sugar-free while retaining all its mouthwatering virtues.

We were blown away by how good sfouf tastes. We use semolina a lot in our kitchen, but more when making bread than sweet bakes. The combo of semolina, turmeric and our selected plant-based ingredients deliver an incredibly airy and fluffy cake, with such a warm orange colour and a delicate and pleasant flavour.

If you had Lebanese sfouf before, you may remember that the classic recipe is not vegan, as it's got eggs, dairy milk, and sometimes gee or butter. However, we have taken a different approach, and just like all our other recipes, we strived to remove as many allergens as possible. And so we made our sfouf fully vegan, without using eggs or dairy; just healthy plant-based ingredients.

Moreover, like most other classic bakes globally, sfouf also comes with a generous dose of white sugars. We've been eating sugar-free for almost two decades now. In fact, out of nearly 400 hundred recipes on Foodaciously today, we have only used white sugars just once or twice! That's why we made our sfouf without using a single grain of refined sugar. Instead, we opted for maple syrup, a healthier and tastier alternative that is also vegan-friendly.

We also enjoyed experimenting with various toppings for our cake. We tried pine nuts, crushed pistachios, and sesame seeds. All excellent choices if you want to pick any of them! We ended up using sesame seeds because they are the cheapest of the three, and we loved their delicate contribution to the overall flavour profile of the recipe.

Overall, sfouf has become one of our favourite cakes because it's both tasty and very simple to put together. We worked hard to make it as healthy as possible, and we think you'll appreciate the results. A big portion will yield only 153 calories, 3.5 grams of sugars (non-refined), and less than 5 grams of fats. Nice, right? So go ahead, have some fun baking this, and share it with your loved ones!

Ingredients

Adjustments
Serves
Measuring System
Apple Cider Vinegar20 mL
Almond Milk480 mL
Fine Semolina280 g
Plain Flour160 g
Baking Powder16 g
Baking Soda1 tsp
Ground Turmeric1 tsp
Ground Star Anise1/2 tsp
Maple Syrup85 mL
Tahini2 tbsp
Vegetable Oil (e.v.o. oil or canola)45 mL
Orange Essence (or orange blossom water)2 tsp
Sesame Seeds2 tbsp

Step 1

Prepare the vegan buttermilk by combining vinegar and milk in a bowl.

Leave the mix undisturbed for a few minutes.

vegan buttermilk

Step 2

In another bowl, add fine semolina, plain flour, baking powder, baking soda, turmeric, star anise, and a pinch of salt.

Mix the ingredients well to ensure the baking powder is evenly distributed.

vegan sfouf cake ingredients

Step 3

Now, pour the vegan buttermilk into the semolina mix, followed by maple syrup, tahini, oil, and orange essence.

vegan sfouf cake ingredients

Step 4

Work the ingredients with a spoon or electric mixer until they come together into a smooth cake batter.

It should be silky and slightly runny, with a bright yellow colour.

vegan sfouf cake batter

Step 5

Take a square 20 cm (8 inches) baking tin and grease it with a little oil.

Pour in the sfouf cake mixture and sprinkle the surface with sesame seeds.

Then, let the batter sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to allow the semolina to soak up the liquids.

vegan sfouf cake batter with sesame seeds in a tin

Step 6

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F) in static mode.

Then, bake the cake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

baked vegan sfouf cake in a tin

Step 7

Once ready, take the tin out of the oven and let the cake cool down a bit before transferring it onto a wire rack.

Once cooled, slice your vegan sfouf cake into squares, rectangles or diamond shapes and enjoy it with a hot cup of herbal tea.

sliced vegan sfouf cake

Tips

  • You can swap sesame seeds with pine nuts or slivered almonds.

  • If you can't find ground star anise, you can grind the whole stars in a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle. You can also replace it with fennel, allspice, or cloves.