Baklava( بقلاوة) Upside Down Cake – a twist on the classic baklava بقلاوة. All the flavors that you love from baklava into an easy to make cake. A sticky sweet baklava topping with an orange blossom flavored cake and lightly drizzled with some honey syrup at the end. The perfect and easy to make dessert for this Ramadan.
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What is Baklava بقلاوة ?
Baklava is a Middle Eastern pastry made with layers of crispy phyllo pastry and a cinnamon nut mixture soaked in a honey syrup. A delicious make-ahead dessert. This Baklava Upside Down cake is made with only the cinnamon honey nut mixture, which is my favorite part of a baklava. To make this cake, you will need the ingredients listed below.
Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter
- Light Brown Sugar
- Honey
- Granulated Sugar
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Pistachio
- Eggs
- All-Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Milk
- Neutral Oil
- Yogurt
- Orange Blossom Water
- Ground Cinnamon
Walnuts, Pistachio, Almonds
You will need to pulse the walnuts, pistachio, and almonds with cinnamon in a food processor a few times until medium to finely chopped.
Buttery Cinnamon Honey Nut Mixture
In a medium pan, melt the butter then turn the heat off and then add the honey, light brown sugar and stir. Now, add the nut mixture, pinch of salt and orange blossom water. Mix everything really well and then transfer the mixture to a greased 9 or 10 inch round cake pan that is lined with parchment paper. Spread the mixture evenly and set aside.
See recipe card below to know how to make this Baklava Cake!
Baklava Upside Down Cake
Equipment
- 9 inch Round Cake Pan
Ingredients
Orange Blossom Flavored Cake
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsps plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup neutral oil vegetable oil or grapeseed oil
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1&1/2 cups All Purpose Flour make sure to spoon and level the flour
- 1&1/2 tsps baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1&1/2 tsp orange blossom water
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Baklava Topping
- 1 cup walnut
- 1/2 cup blanched almonds
- 1/2 cup pistachio
- 2 &1/2 tsps ground cinnamon
- 5 tbps unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- pinch of salt
- 1 &1/2 tsp orange blossom water
Honey Syrup (optional)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tsp orange blossom water or orange zest (optional)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat Oven 350F
Baklava Topping
- You will need to pulse the walnuts, pistachio, and almonds with cinnamon in a food processor a few times until medium to finely chopped.
- Heat a pan over medium-low heat. Melt the butter and then turn the heat off. Add the honey and brown sugar and mix until dissolved into the butter. Add the cinnamon nut mixture and stir everything really well. Mix everything really well.
- Transfer the mixture to a greased 9 or 10 inch round cake pan that is lined with parchment paper. Spread the mixture evenly and set aside.TIP: Make sure to place parchment paper at the bottom of the cake pan this will help the nuts not stick to the bottom and will ensure that when you flip the cake, you won't have issues.
Baklava Cake
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract, orange blossom water for 1 minute on high speed. Now add the oil and mix. Add the yogurt, milk and mix until full incorporated.
- Sift in the dry ingredients ( all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda). Mix until the batter is smooth and lump free. Do not over mix the batter.
- Pour the batter over the baklava nut mixture and spread the batter evenly. Place the cake on the middle rack and bake for 34-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Gently run a butter knife along the edges of the cake. Allow the cake to cool for 6-8 minutes before flipping onto a plate. Be careful while doing this as the pan is still hot. Scoop any nut mixture and sauce remaining in the pan over the cake. Serve with a drizzle of honey syrup. Enjoy!
Honey Syrup (Optional)
- Place the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves.
- Now add the honey, orange blossom water and stir.
- Bring to a boil and then lower heat . Allow mixture to simmer on low for about 10.
- Remove syrup from heat and let cool. Add lemon juice and stir.
- You can drizzle some of the syrup over the cake before serving. Store syrup in an airtight container.
Would this be ok to make a day ahead and do the syrup before serving?