This Persian Baklava Cake gives you all the flavor you love without the fuss of phyllo: almonds, pistachios and rosewater.
Despite my protests, it appears that the holidays are coming as scheduled. Christmas is still December 25th. The kids’ break from school will still begin December 21st. And so on, and so forth. So instead of working on my Christmas cards, wrapping gifts or even cleaning house, I’m baking!
I am sharing with you one of my favorite Persian treats: Baklava Cake. It’s easier to make than traditional baklava, with it’s layers of fragile phyllo. This is an almond cake with the sweet syrup you love of baklava, the scent of rosewater and the crunch of pistachios.
You can make your own almond meal or buy it already ground up. For this recipe, I’m using a food processor to pulverize my slivered almonds.
This is probably the “hardest” part of making this delicious cake. Mix up the wet ingredients…
Then add everything together. There is flour in this cake, so the final product is a cross between dense cake and a fluffy one.
Once baked, you cut the cake into squares or diamonds. Then you pour the sweet rosewater syrup over it. Only a warm cake will absorb it all, so be sure to do this right after you take it from the oven.
Then sprinkle the top with almonds slivers, chopped pistachio and crushed dried rose petals. The rose petals aren’t necessary, but they sure do make the cake pretty!
Enjoy all the flavors of baklava without fussing over phyllo dough. Recipe by Laura Bashar of Family Spice Cooking Tips: Rose water can be found at middle eastern stores. If you don't have rose water, substitute with 1 1/2 cups of honey and a shot (1.5 fl oz) of brandy. Prep Time: Yield: 48 servings Cook Time: 
Baklava Cake (Almond Cake)
Ingredients:
Directions:
Notes:
If you need more sweet inspiration, or are too lazy to bake, please visit my friend Stephanie at Life Tastes Like Food. She is hosting a bake sale to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and her friend who is sick with cancer. I have donated a 5-gram pack of Persian Saffron, valued at $40, so get in on the bidding before everyone finds out!
Happy to rent your sweet kids for a bit during the holidays – !
Yes! A day at Auntie Liz’s would be fun! : )
This baklava looks amazing! Good luck with all of the baking and thanks for giving a shout out to the auction! Kids, kids, kids…time for a vacation??? 😉
Baklava is one of my favorite treats! If I may, I’d like to invite you to submit your photos to the new YumGoggle, a photo sharing site with the philosophy that if you worked hard to cook it and photograph it, we should show it off! Hope to see you there soon! http://www.yumgoggle.com/gallery/
I love baklava, how fun to turn it into a cake!
I love this! Looks delish & not difficult to make. What a great holiday treat!
I really like baklava, but it’s one of those things I buy and never make. Partially because I perceive it as being a pain (all those phyllo layers!), but also because it’s awfully sweet. Your version looks much more approachable, and I love all the almond. Good stuff – thanks.
I’m always amazed at moms and how you manage your time and busy schedules. Often times I think better than I do. Your cake looks heavenly! My hubby loves baklava and I know he’d also love your cake. Thanks for sharing.
Don’t worry. I sent in a request that they hold ’em off a week. I think it will all work out 😉 GREG
I have never thought to make baklava, but it’s one of the few desserts I love.