Crossword enthusiasts hit a wall on November 29, 2025 with a four-letter clue that sent many scrambling for answers. “What sfouf is, in Lebanese cuisine” appeared in that Friday’s New York Times puzzle, introducing thousands of solvers to a Middle Eastern dessert most had never encountered.
The answer: CAKE.
Table of Contents
Breaking Down the Clue
Sfouf is a traditional Lebanese semolina cake that rarely appears on American restaurant menus. The term comes from the Arabic “แนฃufลซf,” meaning “rows” or “lines.” This references how bakers arrange pine nuts or almonds in neat patterns across the top before baking.
The cake gets its signature golden color from turmeric. Most Western bakers associate turmeric with savory dishes, but Lebanese cooks have used this spice in desserts for generations. The result is a bright yellow cake with subtle earthy notes that complement rather than overwhelm the sweetness.
What Makes Sfouf Different
Unlike typical American cakes, sfouf contains no eggs. The texture comes from semolina flour mixed with all-purpose flour, creating a dense but moist crumb that holds together without the binding power of eggs. Baking powder provides the only leavening.
The base recipe includes:
- Semolina flour (fine grind)
- All-purpose flour
- Turmeric powder
- Sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Milk
- Baking powder
Traditional recipes call for greasing the baking pan with tahini instead of butter. This adds a nutty undertone that complements the semolina. Some bakers add anise, orange blossom water, or rose water for aromatic depth.
The cake bakes at 350ยฐF for 30 to 35 minutes in a rectangular pan. After cooling, it gets cut into diamonds or rectangles, with each piece marked by a nut from the decorative pattern on top.
Lebanese Baking Traditions
In Lebanon, sfouf appears at birthdays, religious holidays, and family gatherings. Families serve thin slices alongside Arabic coffee or mint tea, treating it as an afternoon refreshment rather than a heavy dessert.
The cake differs from other semolina-based Middle Eastern sweets like basbousa or namoura. Those cakes get soaked in sugar syrup after baking, making them sticky and intensely sweet. Sfouf stays plain, with just enough sugar in the batter to balance the earthiness of the turmeric and semolina.
This restraint makes sfouf more versatile. Lebanese families eat it for breakfast with coffee, serve it to guests in the afternoon, or pack slices for children’s lunch boxes. The lack of frosting or syrup means the cake stays fresh at room temperature for several days when stored in an airtight container.
Why This Crossword Clue Matters
Friday puzzles in the New York Times typically increase in difficulty compared to earlier weekday offerings. Constructors often include obscure vocabulary, wordplay, and cultural references that test solvers’ general knowledge.
The sfouf clue represents a broader trend in crossword construction. Modern puzzles increasingly feature diverse cultural references, moving beyond the Eurocentric vocabulary that dominated earlier decades. Terms from Asian, African, Middle Eastern, and Latin American languages now appear regularly.
This shift reflects demographic changes in both puzzle constructors and solvers. Younger constructors with diverse backgrounds bring their cultural knowledge to grid construction. Meanwhile, the Times has actively worked to make puzzles more inclusive and representative of contemporary American culture.
Search data shows significant interest in the clue after publication. Crossword solver websites reported hundreds of queries for “sfouf” in the days following November 29. Many solvers who couldn’t get the answer through crosses needed to look up the term directly.
The Lebanese Diaspora Connection
Lebanese immigrants have maintained their baking traditions across multiple generations. Food bloggers with Lebanese heritage share family recipes online, often noting that their grandmothers made sfouf weekly or brought trays to church gatherings.
These recipes vary in their flour ratios. Some Lebanese cooks prefer more semolina for a crumbly texture, while others use equal parts semolina and all-purpose flour for a cake-like consistency. Regional differences and family preferences create variation within the tradition.
The turmeric content also appeals to health-conscious bakers. Curcumin, the active compound in turmeric, has anti-inflammatory properties. While sfouf still contains sugar and oil, the spice adds nutritional value absent from standard sheet cakes.
Learning Through Puzzles
Crossword puzzles serve an educational function beyond entertainment. Solvers who encountered sfouf for the first time on November 29 now know about a Lebanese dessert tradition. Some may seek out the cake at Middle Eastern bakeries or attempt baking it themselves.
This kind of cultural exchange happens regularly through crosswords. A clue about a Japanese food term introduces solvers to miso. A reference to a Swahili word teaches basic African vocabulary. A Spanish phrase familiarizes English speakers with common expressions from another language.
The New York Times crossword reaches hundreds of thousands of solvers daily. When constructors include diverse cultural references, they create small moments of education that accumulate over time. A solver who learns about sfouf today might recognize other Lebanese terms in future puzzles or feel more comfortable ordering from a Middle Eastern menu.
The four letters that spell CAKE opened a window into Lebanese culinary heritage. For crossword enthusiasts willing to learn, each puzzle offers these opportunities to expand their cultural literacy one clue at a time.
