Vegan Baklava Cake

Name: Baklava Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 cup non-dairy milk (such as almond, soy or oat milk ); 2 tablespoons applesauce or non-dairy yogurt; 1 teaspoon vinegar (use apple cider or white vinegar); 1/3 cup sugar; 1/4 cup oil (or use 2 tablespoons more applesauce to make it oil-free); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; a few drops of almond extract; 1.5 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoon baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 cup raw almonds; 1/3 cup raw walnuts; 1/3 cup raw pistachios; 1 cup soft dates pitted; zest of a lemon; 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons maple syrup; 1.5 tablespoons maple syrup; 2 teaspoons lemon juice; a drop of vanilla extract; 2 teaspoons water

Published: Sep 7, 2022 · Modified: Mar 28, 2024 by Richa 39 Comments

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This easy baklava cake is a moist delicious cake with a nutty baklava-style filling used as a topping and a swirl! It’s decadent and delicious without being overly sweet! GF Oil-free options included.

two stacked squares of vegan baklava cake

I LOVE Baklava! The decadent Middle Eastern dessert made up of layers of golden buttery flaky filo pastry sandwiched together with chopped nuts and a sticky sweet syrup. I took all those delicious flavors and the filling and put it in a cake!

This baklava cake is the shortcut to baklava bliss and the perfect centerpiece for all your coffee dates and upcoming holidays! Not only does it look beautiful but it also tastes amazing!

a slice of vegan baklava cake on a white cake plate

This cake really has the best of both worlds! Moist delicious cake and the nutty baklava style filling used as a topping or a swirl! It’s decadent and delicious! This is the perfect cake for tea time. Sweet but not too heavy.

After baking, we brush the still warm cake with zesty syrup to make it extra moist! So delicious!

overhead shot of vegan baklava cake baked in a brownie pan

You can make this cake using a loaf pan or in a brownie pan and slice the cake in squares like in the pics above. I have included instructions for both. I prefer the square pan as it baked faster. Longer bake time with loaf pans means that nuts could start to burn.

More cake recipes:

German Chocolate Loaf Cake

Vegan Mango Cake

Vegan Date Nut Cake (Eggless)

Vegan Chocolate Gingerbread Cake

Vegan Gluten free Chocolate Cake

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5 from 19 votes

Baklava Cake

This easy vegan baklava cake is a moist delicious cake with a nutty baklava-style filling used as a topping and a swirl! It’s decadent and delicious without being overly sweet! Glutenfree Oil-free options included.

Prep Time25

Cook Time35

Total Time1

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, Middle Eastern

Keyword: baklava cake

Servings: 12

Calories: 251kcal

Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

For the cake:

Wet Ingredients:

1 cup (236.59 ml) non-dairy milk such as almond, soy or oat milk
2 tablespoons applesauce or non-dairy yogurt
1 teaspoon vinegar use apple cider or white vinegar
⅓ cup (65 g) sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) oil or use 2 tablespoons more applesauce to make it oil-free
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a few drops of almond extract

Dry Ingredients:

1.5 cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

For the nut layer:

½ cup (70 g) raw almonds
⅓ cup (40 g) raw walnuts
⅓ cup (40 g) raw pistachios
1 cup soft dates pitted
zest of a lemon
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons maple syrup

For the syrup dressing:

1.5 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoons lemon juice
a drop of vanilla extract
2 teaspoons water

Instructions

Make the cake batter: add all the wet ingredients to a bowl and mix well.
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl, mix flour with the baking powder and soda right above the wet ingredients first and then mix the dry into the wet. Alternatively mix the dry ingredients in another bowl and then add to the wet
Mix until just about combined. If the mixture is too runny, add in 1-2 tablespoons of more flour.
Prep the nut layer: Add the almonds, walnuts, pistachios to a food processor and process until nuts break down into a coarse mixture.
Then add in the dates, lemon zest, and salt, and process again until the dates break down. Then add in the maple syrup and process for 15 seconds so that the maple combines and the mixture becomes a sticky mixture. Set aside.
Make the dressing syrup: mix all the syrup ingredients and bring to a boil then take off heat and set aside.
Line an 8 by 8 or 9 by 9 inch brownie pan or use a 9×5 inch loaf pan , line with parchment paper. Add the batter and even it out.(add half of the batter to the loaf pan)
Distribute the nut mixture on top of the batter for a brownie pan.
Add half of the nut mixture over the batter if using a loaf pan. spread it out evenly. Then add the rest of the batter and top it with the rest of the nut mixture for the loaf pan.
Put the pan into the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 c) and bake.
After 15 minutes, cover the pan with a parchment so that the nut layer on top doesn't burn, and continue to bake for another 10-15 mins for brownie pan and 25-35 minutes for loaf pan.
Check the cake by inserting a toothpick in the middle and continue to bake if toothpick doesn’t come out almost clean from the center.
Once the cake is baked, remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Then brush the syrup mixture all over. Let the cake cool for another 15 minutes and remove from the pan. Cover with the parchment and let it cool for another 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

Video

Notes

Use orange zest instead of lemon zest in the nut layer
I like to add cinnamon, but you could also add some cardamom or nutmeg to the nut layer
Gluten-free: Mix ¾ cup almond flour, ¾ cup oat flour and ½ cup potato starch. Mix well and start with 1.5 cups of this mix and add more as needed for the batter. For the wet, use ½ cup non dairy milk and ½ cup unsweetened club soda.
Nuts are an important part of the overall flavor and texture. You can possibly use a mix of seeds such as pumpkin, sunflower, hemp and ¼ cup breadcrumbs to balance out the seed texture and fattyness

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Baklava Cake

Amount Per Serving

Calories 251 Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 197mg9%

Potassium 274mg8%

Carbohydrates 34g11%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 18g20%

Protein 4g8%

Vitamin A 17IU0%

Vitamin C 1mg1%

Calcium 91mg9%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Did you make this recipe?Please do leave a comment and rating below.. Tag me on Instagram @veganricha

INGREDIENTS:

wet ingredients are a mix of non dairy milk, applesauce
vanilla extract and almond extract lend a delicious flavor to the cake batter
vinegar in combination with baking powder and baking soda helps to give the cake the perfect rise
for making this cake moist, we add a small amount of oil but you can use applesauce for oil-free
the dry ingredients are sugar and all-purpose flour
for the baklava nut layer I went with a blend of almonds, walnuts, pistachios
dates and maple syrup are added for sweetness
I like to add the zest of a lemon to the filling, you can also use orange zest
the finished bake is drizzled with a simple syrup made from maple syrup, lemon juice and vanilla extract

TIPS:

instead of applesauce, you can use non-dairy yogurt
if you want, use orange zest instead of lemon zest
I like to add just cinnamon, but you could also add some cardamom or nutmeg to the nut layer
for an oil-free cake, use 2 tablespoons applesauce instead of oil

How to make Baklava Cake:

wet ingredients for baklava cake in a glass bowl

Make the cake batter: add all the wet ingredients to a bowl and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients and mix flour with the baking powder and soda right above the wet ingredients first and then mix the dry into the wet. Alternatively mix the dry ingredients in another bowl and then add to the wet

Mix until just about combined. If the mixture is too runny, add in 1-2 tablespoons of more flour.

Prep the nut layer:

mixed nuts in a food processor container

Add the almonds, walnuts, pistachios to a food processor and process until nuts break down into a coarse mixture.

Then add in the dates, lemon zest, and salt, and process again until the dates break down. Then add in the maple syrup and process for 15 seconds so that the maple combines and the mixture becomes a sticky dough. Set aside.

dates and nuts being chopped with lemon zest for making baklava cake filling

chopped nuts and dates in a small food processor

Make the dressing syrup: mix all the syrup ingredients and bring to a boil then take off the heat and set aside.

Bake: Line an 8 by 8 or 9 by 9 inch brownie pan or use a 9×5 inch loaf pan , and line with parchment paper. Add the batter and even it out. (add half of the batter to the loaf pan)

vegan cake batter being spread in a loaf pan

Distribute the nut mixture on top of the batter for a brownie pan and add half of the nut mixture over the batter if using a loaf pan. Spread it out evenly.

nut and date mixture spread on cake batter

Then add the rest of the batter and top it with the rest of the nut mixture for the loaf pan.

a loaf pan with cake batter on a marble counter.

cake batter being topped with baklava topping

Put the pan into the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 c) and bake.

baklava cake batter in square baking dish

After 15-20 minutes, cover the pan with parchment so that the nut layer on top doesn’t burn, and continue to bake for another 10-15 mins for the brownie pan, and 25-35 minutes for a loaf pan.

vegan baklava cake baked in a brownie pan

Check the cake by inserting a toothpick in the middle and continue to bake if the toothpick doesn’t come out almost clean from the center.

Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Then brush the syrup mixture all over. Let the cake cool for another 15 minutes and remove it from the pan.

Cover with the parchment and let it cool for another 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

This cake is best served still warm, if you want with more syrup on the side. You could also serve this cake with whipped coconut cream, or pistachio ice cream, vanilla ice cream.

Storage: store in an airtight container in the fridge for upto a week. If you plan to eat it the next day, you can store it at room temperature.

Vegan Baklava Cake

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