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Baklava Cake

A perfect celebration cake. This is my take on the classic baklava sweet treat. It is filled with nuts, filo pastry and orange blossom water making for the perfect Eid dessert. 

Baklava is a middle eastern sweet treat that is filled with an assortment of nuts, filo pastry, orange blossom water and an indulgent sugar syrup. It is a luxurious and decadent treat but there is due cause for celebration and that is Eid. We are almost upon the  occasion and this cake is the perfect center piece for your table setting. It looks beautiful and tastes just like baklava but in cake form. 

There are few layers to this cake and that’s what makes it so special. We have the caramelized nut  topping, the cake batter, the honey syrup and the fried filo pastry on top for crunch and a theatrical effect. I would recommend following the recipe as it is mentioned, since each component plays an important part to make the finished cake taste like Baklava. Let us understand what we need to make this cake. 

How do we make this Baklava Cake?

Nut Topping –

To make the nut topping we use a mixture of almond, pistachios and walnuts. You can use this exact mixture of change it up and add the nut of your choice and preference. We also need honey, brown sugar, melted butter and orange blossom water. As for spices we need a good amount of cinnamon powder. Al the ingredients are stirred together until combined.

Cake Batter –

This is probably one of the easiest cake batters you can make, all you need is one bowl and a whisk to bring the butter together. We start by whisking all the wet ingredients together until smooth. We then add all the dry ingredients and whisk again. We do not want any lumps but we also do not want to over whisk it. 

Honey Syrup –

One of the main components of a classic baklava has to be the syrup on the top as soon as it is out of the oven. The honey, sugar, water is poured into a sauce pot and the mixture is brought up to a boil. We let it simmer and reduce by half, it will become thick and syrupy in texture. Once it is ff the heat we add orange blossom water in it and stir, set aside to cool down. 

Filo Pastry Garnish –

This is one of the major elements in making a good baklava. We slice up raw filo pastry dough into thin strands and fry them in oil until golden. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and orange zest while it is still hot. 

So how do we assemble this cake?

We start by preheating the oven to 180℃. Line an 8/9 inch round tin by brushing it with oil and placing a piece of baking paper at the bottom. Add the but mixture and flatten it down with a spatula until even. Pour over the batter and we bake this for 30-35 mins until the cake is risen, golden brown and tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let it cool for a few minutes before Turning onto a cake stand. Top the cake with the fried filo pastry dough and drizzle with some of the syrup. 

Best way to serve this Baklava Cake?

This cake is best served hot or warm with more syrup on the side. You could also serve this cake with pistachio ice cream, vanilla ice cream or honey ice cream. I have served it with whipped cream and it is delicious as well. If you are going to make the cake ahead of time I would recommend to leave the filo pastry garnish for the last minute as it can get a bit soft. Also it would be good to warm it up in the microwave before serving. 

This recipe is simple but gorgeous to look at  and delicious to eat. Making it the perfect treat for Eid. As we have covered all the components of the cake let us get to the kitchen. Happy Baking Ninjas!

Baklava Cake

A perfect celebration cake. This is my take on the classic baklava sweet treat. It is filled with nuts, filo pastry and orange blossom water making for the perfect Eid dessert.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine Egyptian, Middle Eastern
Servings 8 people

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • 9inch Round Cake tin
  • Baking paper
  • Small mixing bowls
  • Sauce pot
  • Knife

Ingredients
  

Topping

  • 3/4 cup Walnuts coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup Pistachios coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup Almonds coarsely chopped
  • 2 tsp Cinnamon powder
  • 5 tbsp Butter melted
  • 1/4 cup Brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup Honey
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp Orange blossom water

Cake

  • 1/2 cup Oil
  • 1/2 cup Castor sugar
  • 1/2 cup Yogurt
  • 1/4 cup Milk
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp Baking soda
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1 tsp Orange blossom water

Syrup

  • 1/4 cup Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Honey
  • 3/4 cup Water
  • 1/2 tsp Orange blossom water
  • 2 tsp Lemon juice

Filo pastry garnish

  • 2 Filo pastry sheets sliced
  • 2 tsp Castor sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder
  • Zest of 1/2 Orange

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180℃ and line a 9 inch round cake tin with oil and baking paper at the bottom.

Nut topping

  • To make the nut topping, add all the nuts into a mixing bowl, add the brown sugar and cinnamon powder, stir well to combine. Pour in the honey and orange blossom water, stir until the mixture looks damp.
  • Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and flatten it down with the back of a spoon. Ensure to level the nuts out in order it to bake evenly.

Cake Batter

  • In a large bowl whisk the oil with the sugar, add the eggs, yogurt, milk and whisk until combined.
  • Add all the dry ingredients and whisk again. Pour the batter into then lined with baking paper and the nut topping mixture.
  • Bake at 180℃ for 30-35 mins until the top is risen and golden brown. A tooth pick inserted into the center should come out clean.

Honey syrup

  • Add all the ingredients into a small sauce pot. Bring the mixture to a bubble and let it simmer for a few minutes until reduced to half. Set aside to cool down before serving.
  • Filo pastry garnish
  • Cut up your filo pastry sheets in strips. Like the shape of fettuccine pasta. Deep fry in hot oil until golden in color. Remove from the hot oil and drain the excess oil on paper towel. Immediately sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and orange zest. Let it cool completely before using as a garnish.

Assembly

  • While the cake is still warm and not cooled down completely, run a knife around the edges of the cake to ensure it will release when flipped over. Flip the cake over onto a serving platter, cake stand or plate. Top the cake with the filo pastry garnish and drizzle over the warm syrup.
  • Slice and serve the cake with more syrup, some pistachio or vanilla ice cream.

Notes

  • Do not over mix the cake batter as this will make the cake dense once baked.
  • Keep an eye on the filo pastry garnish while frying as it will go dark and burn easily.

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