Baklava Cake
This Baklava Cake brings together two of my favorite desserts and tastes absolutely delicious. Made with a simple, one-bowl cake base and topped with layers of filo pastry with a filling of pistachios, this dessert is the perfect showstopper for your Eid table and is super easy to make.
Equipment
- 7” springform pan
- Handwhisk
- Pastry brush
Ingredients
Cake
- 250 grams all-purpose flour
- 65 grams granulated white sugar
- 65 grams brown sugar
- 10 grams baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 15 grams chopped pistachios
- 15 grams chopped walnuts
- 1/4 th tsp salt
- 250 ml full-fat milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 75 grams butter melted
Baklava Topping
- 3 filo pastry sheets defrosted
- 200 grams butter melted
- 50 grams pistachios
- 50 grams walnuts
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
Sugar Syrup
- 500 ml water
- 350 ml granulated white sugar
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 160 degree Celsius. Prepare a 7 inch springform pan by greasing with butter and dusting with flour to make sure the cake does not stick to the pan.
- In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and the nuts – flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon powder salt, chopped pistachios, and walnuts with a hand whisk.250 grams all-purpose flour, 65 grams granulated white sugar, 65 grams brown sugar, 10 grams baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon powder, 15 grams chopped pistachios, 15 grams chopped walnuts, 1/4 th tsp salt
- Now add the milk, eggs, and vanilla essence, and whisk until well combined250 ml full-fat milk, 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla essence
- Finally, drizzle the melted butter into the cake batter while whisking it in. Keep whisking until all the butter has been added and incorporated into the batter.75 grams butter
- Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan and let it chill in the fridge for 10 minutes to set the top of the cake.
Baklava Topping
- While the cake is chilling, prepare the filo pastry by cutting each sheet into a round circle the same size as your cake pan.3 filo pastry sheets
- Make the nut filling: Place the pistachios, walnuts, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor and blend until they form small crumbs. Don’t blend them to a powder, keep them roughly chopped.50 grams pistachios, 50 grams walnuts, 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- Layer the filo pastry: Place one sheet of filo on top of the cake batter, then brush it generously with melted butter. Make sure all the corners are covered in butter. Add 2-3 spoons of the nut filling on top of the butter and evenly spread it across the filo pastry, leaving a little space on the edges. Place the second layer of filo pastry on top and repeat the process. Finish with another layer of filo brushed with melted butter.200 grams butter
- Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes until the cake is fully cooked. At the end of the baking time, turn on the top broiler of the oven and cook until the filo pastry becomes golden brown. Keep an eye as it can burn easily. The top filo might curl up in process but don't worry, you can shatter it to create a fun effect.
- Make the sugar syrup: While the cake is baking, make the sugar syrup. Add the water and sugar in a saucepan, don’t mix it as that may cause crystallization. Let the syrup cook on high heat until it starts boiling, then lower the heat and let it cook for 10 minutes until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.500 ml water, 350 ml granulated white sugar
- As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, pour 3-4 tablespoons of sugar syrup on top of the baklava. Let the cake cool down completely before removing it from the pan.
- If serving after. a few hours, place the cake under the broiler for 3-5 minutes to crisper the filo pastry sheets.
Notes
Storage:
This cake is best enjoyed on the day of baking, but can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can crisp up the filo pastry before serving by placing the cake under the broiler for 3-5 minutes.