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Broken Phyllo Baklava Cake
Fussing over delicate phyllo is tedious. Instead, smash it! This dessert is a riff on chef Maria Leivaditaki’s recipe for portokalopita, a Greek syrup-soaked cake made from broken bits of phyllo dough in place of flour. The cake is moist, rich and delicious on its own, but it’s even better with yogurt-spiked whipped cream. To make, combine 1 cup cold heavy cream, ¼ cup cold plain whole-milk Greek yogurt and 1½ tablespoons white sugar; whip until soft peaks form. The cake keeps well and can be made a day in advance and held at room temperature. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to four days.
10-12
Servings
Don’t use a cake pan that’s less than 2 inches deep. In a shallower pan, the syrup may overflow the rim. Don’t allow the cake to cool before pouring on the syrup, and after the second half of the syrup is poured on, don’t be alarmed if it floods the pan. As the cake cools, it will be absorbed.
2 hours
30 minutes active, plus cooling
For the syrup:
-
214
grams (1 cup) white sugar
Directions
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01To make the syrup, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar, lemon zest strips, peppercorns, cardamom and ⅔ cup water. Simmer over medium-high, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then remove from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and rose water (if using). Cover and let cool while you prepare the cake.