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Zaatar Cake

Side view of a slice of za'atar cake

My mom called me last week and told me she has been making this cake for the past few months and it has been a hit with the family and her friends. I didn’t know what to expect but let me tell you this is a fantastic recipe! It is darn good and so easy to make that no one is intimidated to make it! This zaatar cake needs very little effort and only a handful of ingredients to be made. It is full of flavor, super moist, and gives the house such a beautiful aroma.

What Zaatar is used in this Zaatar Cake?

For those who may be wondering, zaatar is the Arabic word for a few things. Many of you may know zaatar as that seasoning blend made up of sesame seeds, sumac, fine dried thyme, and fine dried oregano. Zaatar however is also the name for oregano and/or thyme in Arabic.

Any zaatar can be used in this recipe but dried or fresh oregano would be best as it has the most flavor. It also goes beautifully with the cheese in the batter. I promise you that you will be enjoying a slice daily of this savory zaatar cake.

This is the type of dish that you can make on the weekend with your children and enjoy with a warm cup of mint tea. It also goes perfectly served with some fresh tomato and cucumber slices on the side. I love it along with some fresh cheese as well. It really is a delightful bite that I urge you to try. It is definitely a recipe that will be on repeat in my household and I am sure for many of you as well. Just give it a try!

Here are a few other recipes with zaatar that you should make sometime:

Oregano Flatbread

Palestinian Zaatar bread

Zaatar knots

Side view of a slice of zaatar cake showing the zaatar
Print Recipe
5 from 36 votes

Za’atar Cake

This is a super moist cake full of za'atar and bites of cheese that will melt in your mouth. This is one of the best savory cakes you will ever enjoy!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: brunch, Snack
Cuisine: Arabic
Keyword: fresh oregano bread, Fufus Kitchen, savory cake, za’atar, za’atar cake
Servings: 10 slices
Author: Heifa

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Milk
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 cup Vegetable oil You can use olive oil or do half of each oil
  • 3 cups All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 tbsp Baking Powder
  • Sprinkle of salt
  • 1 cup Dried Oregano or Fresh Oregano (Za'atar) Za'atar seasoning mix will work as well but it will not be as potent in flavor
  • 1 cup Arabian cheese or Queso Fresco cheese, cubed or Nabulsi cheese, halloumi cheese, feta cheese, (about 5 oz)

Topping

  • 1/2 cup Sesame seeds

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 F. Prep a 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
  • First, mix together the oil, milk, and eggs very well together.
  • To this, add the flour, baking powder, salt, and za'atar. Mix together until creamy and smooth. Then, add the chunks of cheese and gently mix.
  • Pour the batter into the prepped pan 3/4 of the way because the cake will rise when it bakes. Top off with sesame seeds evenly throughout.
  • Bake for about 40 minutes. Broil for a minute to achieve a light brown color on top. Check the center of the cake by inserting a toothpick and checking doneness. It should come out clean if the cake is done. If not, keep it in a few minutes longer. Allow to cool to room temperature before cutting into the cake. Enjoy as is with a cup of mint tea or with a side of fresh cheese and veggies.

Notes

Please note if you use a larger pan, then the batter will be thinner and therefore will take less time to bake. If using a smaller pan, then the batter may be much thicker and will take more time to bake. This is just something to keep in mind.
Also, some ovens run warmer than others; you may need to bake the cake for longer than 35 minutes. Always check doneness by using the toothpick method in the center of the cake.
Also, if there are egg allergies; it has been tested by someone using flax eggs and it came out great. So, that is always an alternative! 
Za'atar Cake

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58 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Wallahi, this has got to be the easiest thing to make!!! The za’atar cake is so light it absolutely tastes great with a cup of tea. Thank you Heifa for the recipe

    1. 5 stars
      So simple to make and came out delicious! Super light and moist! I definitely love savory more than sweet and this was amazing! Definitely making this again and again!

        1. 5 stars
          Just made this! Came out sooo good. Never had a savory cake before but this one was perfect. I added some dried basil and mozzarella cheese in as well. Thanks for the great recipe 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    It’s definitely a family favorite. We finished half of the zataar cake while it was still steaming hot. 😋
    Thank you for the wonderful recipe.

  3. This was amazing! It was like eating moajinat with out the headache and mess! Can’t wait to make it again this week!

  4. 5 stars
    Amazing cake!! So soft and savory. You can change up the cheeses and it still tastes so good! Tastes perfect with honey on top too. And so easy to make!!!

    1. 5 stars
      Incredibly simple and yet incredibly delicious! Everyone loved it. Tried in a loaf tin and worked great as well. I like to add more zaatar than the recipe calls because I love the flavor, but it is amazing as is.

  5. 5 stars
    This looks AMAZING – can’t wait to make it!!

    If I’m using zaatar mix (what I have at home), should I use more than 1 cup because you said the flavour may be less potent?

    Also for cheese – if I choose to go with feta or mozeralla cheese, do I still add them in cubes and about a cup?
    Thanks!

    1. 5 stars
      This is soooo tasty! I just used the mozzarella cheese that I had on hand and used half fresh oregano and half dried. I sliced up some cucumber and tomatoes with it. Both comforting and refreshing, this zaatar cake is definitely a new favorite recipe! Thank you for sharing! Xoxo.

  6. 5 stars
    Delicious recipe, took less than 10 minutes to get ready and exactly 35 min in the oven and tasted so good right out of the oven !

  7. It’s sensational! So moist and delicious. I used Halloumi cheese instead and increased the quantity coz we are cheese lovers! And it turned out to be very delicious. Was part of the games night dinner I made and it was wiped out right away. Making this again for sure.

  8. 5 stars
    This zaatar cake was delicious mashAllah 😋😋 I loved it and with a cup of mint tea even better 👌 this recipe is definitely a keeper. Thanks for the recipe. I did use zaatar blend (1cup) and it worked and I used 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Next time I would just add more cheese because we love cheese 😃

  9. 5 stars
    Loved this zaatar cake so much! I used fresh oregano leaves, nabulsi cheese and half cup olive and half vegetable oil instead of all veg. Oil. Can’t wait to make it again, it’s super easy and delicious. Thank you Heifa♥️

  10. 5 stars
    Loved this zaatar cake recipe so much! I ised fresh oregano leaves, nabulsi cheese and half cup vegetable oil and onother half olive oil. It turned out so delicious and I can’t wait to make it again but will be using a bigger pan for next time. Thank you Heifa♥️

  11. 5 stars
    This was amazing! Literally took no effort! The only thing i did differently was use oat milk which i had to cook a 10 minutes longer! My family loved it, it a great breakfast and snack. This is definitely something i have to make probably every couple of days because it’s already half way gone after just making it! Thank you Heifa for sharing your tasty and easy to make recipes with the world!

  12. 5 stars
    I tried this cake twice, and both times it was a huge hit! It was insanely easy, and honestly, I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. It’s my go-to cake recipe from now on. If you’re debating making this, consider this a sign to get in the kitchen and do it!
    PS: I used Fetta cheese and it was PERFECT.

  13. 5 stars
    Changed my relationship with cake forever…can’t host without this recipe anymore because my guests won’t let me!

  14. 5 stars
    This recipe is so easy and so delicious. Its the perfect thing to have in the morning with a cup of tea. Really recommend you try this out.

  15. 5 stars
    My family and I absolutely loved these zatar cakes. I made them into cupcakes. It’s an easy and delicious recipe which I was able to make twice in one day. This recipe was perfect because I had dried zatar leaves from Jordan which I was waiting to use. I Highly recommend this recipe for a quick and healthy breakfast idea.

  16. 5 stars
    This was such a hit! So flavorful, fluffy and it made a yummy breakfast. I actually baked them in a muffin pan and they turned out so good. Definitely making this again soon.

    1. 5 stars
      amazing for breakfast, snack and for brunch … actually anytime!! I think i will try it in muffins cups next time for the little ones school lunches . Amazing recipe as always fufu!!!!! thank you for all the recipes you post and all the free content, we really really appreciate you ❤️

  17. Hi! I made this cake and it was moist and delicious but it didn’t look as pretty as yours. I was hoping to share the picture of mine with you so that you can tell me why. I don’t know how to send it to you.

  18. 5 stars
    I can’t believe how quickly this recipe comes together and how much everyone in my family always loves it!!! Wayy easier than fatayer and similar yumminess. I felt like using half olive oil made a great difference in flavor and would recommend. Thanks for another great recipe!

  19. 5 stars
    Another amazing recipe! Thank you for sharing. This came out perfectly and so delicious with tea. Next time I might try with some Kalamata Olive pieces in the batter- do you think that would work well or be too salty?

  20. 5 stars
    Made this twice before and loved it. So did my family. Plan on making it again this weekend but realized I don’t have queso fresco. Do you think a mix of queso Blanco and mozzarella would work?

    1. Hi Rana,
      I am so sorry for the late reply but yes, queso blanco would work. Mozzarella not so much because it will completely melt.

  21. 5 stars
    This was the perfect prepare ahead brunch recipe. I used zaatar mix and it turned out so yummy. I would describe it like a zaatar biscuit. Will definitely make again!

  22. 5 stars
    Oh My God , if you haven’t tried this recipe ( Zaatar Halloumi cake)you need to do so right now like really right now.
    Absolutely delicious, flavorful and the ingredients combinations you can’t go wrong with.
    I love zaatar and halloumi but Fufu took it to the next level with this cake.
    ❤️❤️👍🏻Thank you so much and can’t wait to try few other recipes that caught my eyes.

  23. 5 stars
    I can not wait to try this! Sounds incredibly easy, yet supremely good. I am intrigued by the savory cake. I love, love, love playing with flavors…I am so excited to try this! I would have it in the oven right now, but I AM OUT OF MILK! HaHaHA

  24. 5 stars
    Oh, Heifa! This Za’atar recipe is amazing! I had to adapt to what I had on hand, but I had to try this. The smell coming from my kitchen right now is phenomenal. Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe. This tastes sooo good! I will be making this again! and again! and agan!

  25. 5 stars
    Wow this recipe is absolutely amazing. I have used to many times for parties and even made it bite size and it was a huge hit! So many people have enjoyed it and stated how it reminded them have back home. So happy to have found this recipe the measurements are spot on!

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