Baklava Poke Cake

This Baklava Poke Cake is full of cinnamon, walnuts and honey! The flavor combination is seriously addicting and tastes just like you’re eating a cake version of the real thing.

So did you watch the USA vs Germany World Cup game today? I’d say it was a great game, but we lost. That’s not so great. However, we can take solice in the fact that we still get to move on to the next round. The dream is still alive!

I’m not really an avid soccer watcher or anything, but the hubs likes it and some of my coworkers are pretty big soccer fans so I’ve actually seen quite a bit of soccer since the World Cup’s been on.

In fact, I work full-time for a smaller company and enough of them were totally into it that we actually got to watch the game during lunch. One of my coworkers, who is totally into soccer, was so focused on the game I’m pretty sure someone could have died right in from of him and he wouldn’t have even noticed. It was pretty funny.

Lunches out are a regular thing for us. A recent favorite for lunch is this new Greek place – Tazikis. Have you heard of it? Apparently it’s a chain, but it is delicious. I wouldn’t normally be the kinda gal that orders a veggie plate for my meal, but they do it so well that’s pretty much the only thing I get. And it never gets old.

They also have baklava. I recently tried it for the first time. I can’t believe I’d never had baklava before. I immediately knew I wanted to make a baklava-inspired dessert. It just took a little bit before I figured out what that would be.

Then the other day I was thinking about how I wanted to make another poke cake – those babies are tasty and so easy to make. Have you seen my Cannoli Poke Cake? And it hit me! Baklava Poke Cake! Yes!

Though I tend to be a fan of cakes from scratch, I used a butter pecan cake mix. I figured the butter and nutty flavor would be perfect for adding to the baklava flavor.

Like any other poke cake, you have to poke it full of holes. That’s where gets it’s name after all. And since baklava is soaked in honey, why wouldn’t this cake be? Instead of just using sweetened condensed milk, the usual for poke cakes, I added honey to it. Pure. Heaven.

I topped the soaked cake with a mixture of cinnamon, butter and walnuts – the usual filling for baklava. Then I let everything soak and come together in the fridge. The cake absorbs all those delicious flavors!

Cinnamon honey whipped cream sounded absolutely perfect for the top of this cake, so I made some of that and spread that right on top.

For a little decor, I added a few more walnuts and some honey drizzle.

This cake got rave reviews! In fact, one taste tester said it tasted just like the baklava her grandmother used to make. Rock on!

If you’re into cinnamon, honey and walnuts, you will undoubtedly love this cake – and how easy it is to make.

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Baklava Poke Cake

Ingredients

Cake

15.25 oz box Butter Pecan cake mix

2 1/2 cups finely chopped walnuts

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, melted

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup honey

Whipped Topping

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/8 cup honey

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

additional walnuts and honey for topping, if desired

Instructions

1. Bake cake according to package directions in a 9x13 cake pan.

2. While cake bakes, mix together walnuts, cinnamon and butter and set aside.

3. Once cake is done, removed from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes.

4. Mix together sweetened condensed milk and honey.

5. Poke holes all over the cake.

6. Pour about three quarters of sweetened condensed milk mixture over cake.

7. Cover cake with walnut mixture.

8. Pour the rest of sweetened condensed milk mixture over walnut layer.

9. Put cake in refrigerator and allow to cool completely and absorb the milk mixture, about an hour.

10. To make the whipped topping, freeze a mixer bowl and whisk attachment for 10-15 minutes.

11. Remove bowl from freezer and whip heavy cream until it begins to thicken.

12. Add powdered sugar, honey, vanilla and cinnamon and whip until stiff peaks form.

13. Spread whipped topping onto completely cooled cake.

14. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve.

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Enjoy!

You might also like:

Cannoli Poke Cake

Cinnamon Sugar Swirl Cupcakes

Classic Tiramisu

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream

Oatmeal Cream Pie Gooey Bars

Recipes from friends:
Peanut Butter Baklava from Crazy for Crust
Maple Pecan Baklava from Bakeaholic Mama
Baklava Brownie Bombs from The Domestic Rebel
Baklava Bites from Lemons for Lulu