Baklava Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
• Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
• Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
• Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough in a greased 9-in. springform pan, pressing phyllo onto bottom and up sides of pan; brush with butter. Layer with remaining phyllo sheets, brushing each layer and rotating sheets slightly to stagger the corners. (While working, keep unused phyllo covered with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out.) Place on a 15x10x1-in. baking pan., In a small bowl, mix walnuts, sugar and spices; sprinkle over bottom of phyllo. Bake 5-7 minutes or until edges are lightly browned (sides will puff). Cool in springform pan on a wire rack. Reduce oven setting to 325°., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and mascarpone cheese on low speed until smooth. Beat in honey, milk and flour. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until blended. Pour into crust. Return pan to baking pan. , Bake 50-60 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight, covering when completely cooled. Remove rim from pan., For garnish, place corn syrup in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, 10 seconds or until warm. Brush corn syrup lightly over both sides of rosemary. Place on waxed paper; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar., If needed, reheat remaining corn syrup until warm; gently toss cranberries in syrup. Place remaining sugar in a small bowl; add cranberries and toss to coat. Place on waxed paper and let stand until set, about 1 hour. , Just before serving, top cheesecake with sugared rosemary and cranberries.

Steps:

• Tip the flour, baking powder, semolina and cinnamon into a large bowl. Put the nuts in a food processor and blitz until coarsely chopped.
• Beat the egg whites using an electric whisk or stand mixer on a high speed until stiff and slowly add half of the sugar. Reduce the speed to medium and beat for about 5 mins until the meringue is nice and firm, then set aside. Beat the egg yolks on a high speed, gradually adding the remaining 50g of sugar. When all the sugar is incorporated, beat for about 10 mins on a high speed until pale in colour and doubled in volume.
• Gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, then add the nut and flour mixtures and carefully fold in. Set aside. Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
• For the filo layers, use some of the melted butter to brush the inside of a 23cm bundt tin. Lay the sheets of filo on a board and cut them in half down the middle to give you 16 strips. Take eight strips, keeping the rest covered, and brush one at a time with more butter. Arrange in the tin, making sure the inside of the ring is covered, with overhang. Repeat with the remaining filo.
• Dollop the cake batter evenly into the tin. Fold the overhanging filo strips inwards to cover the cake mixture, trimming off the excess. Brush the top of the filo with more butter, then prick all over using the point of a sharp knife. Bake for 25 mins or until golden. When a skewer is inserted it should come out clean with no sticky crumbs.
• Meanwhile, make the syrup. Put the sugar, honey, rosewater, cinnamon stick and 300ml water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 mins. Do not stir.
• Pour half of the hot syrup over the baklava cake as soon as it comes out of the oven. Leave the cake to cool completely before removing it from the tin, carefully turning it out onto a lined baking sheet. Poke the top of the cake with a skewer. Return it to the oven for approximately 15 mins or until the filo is crispy and golden. Meanwhile, reheat the remaining syrup, then pour over the cake when it comes out of the oven. Leave to cool or come to room temperature before serving.
• Pipe rosettes of rosewater cream on top and sprinkle with chopped walnuts, pistachios and edible rose petals, if you like. Will keep for three days in the fridge.