Chocolate Baklava Cake

This baklava cake is a fluffy and moist chocolate cake baked on top of cinnamon chocolate baklava and topped with chocolate ganache. 

Why you’ll love this chocolate baklava cake

• It’s rich and indulgent and absolutely unique.
• It looks much more complicated than it is. Athens Phyllo Sheets make this baklava super easy to put together. 
• The chocolate cake recipe is very forgiving and allows for many substitutions and dietary restrictions. 

If you like my unique take on baklava, make sure to check out my apple pie baklava and my carrot cake baklava. If you’re here for the indulgence of chocolate you’ll also love my chocolate olive oil cake, my chocolate ganache cake and ferrero rocher cake. 

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Flour: I use all purpose flour in most of my recipes and I HIGHLY recommend using a digital scale, as flour (and cocoa) is so often over measured. 
• Cocoa Powder: make sure to use unsweetened cocoa powder. I use dutch process but natural cocoa powder also works. The color and flavor will be slightly less intense with natural cocoa powder. 
• Sugar: I used granulated sugar in the nut mixture and I used a combination of granulated and brown sugar in the cake. I don’t recommend cutting any out as it affects the texture and the flavor.
• Oil: I usually use a neutral oil like sunflower, vegetable or canola oil but olive oil also works well here as it pairs well with chocolate and is hardly noticeable. 
• Eggs: make sure to use room temperature, large eggs.
  • Pop them in hot water for a few minutes if they’re cold.
• Butter: I like to use salted butter to brush the phyllo but you can also use unsalted butter. Dairy free butter also works well. 
• Phyllo Dough: Athens Phyllo Sheets makes this baklava cake a dream. They get nice and crispy on the bottom and sides of the cake and they make this cake so quick and easy.  
• Nuts: I tested this with different types of nuts. Here I used a combination of walnuts and pistachios however I really love using pecans as well. 
• Cinnamon: I used a little cinnamon in the nut mixture to give it a little extra flavor. 

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the filling for the baklava by grounding and combining the nuts with the sugar and chopped chocolate.

Step 2: Butter and layer 10 layers of Athens Phyllo Sheets in a 10” springform pan. Top with half of the nut mixture.

Step 3: Repeat with only 5 layers of Athens Phyllo Sheets followed by the rest of the nut mixture and then 5 more layers of Athens Phyllo Sheets.

Step 4: Make the cake batter by whisking together the eggs and oil until they’re well combined. Add the milk and whisk until they’re combined.

Step 5: Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder and salt until they’re evenly distributed. Sift them over the wet ingredients and whisk until the batter is completely smooth.

Step 6: Pour the cake batter over the baklava and bake for about 65-75 minutes at 350F (180C). Insert a toothpick or a knife in the center to make sure it’s baked. You should moist crumbs but not gummy/gooey batter. Allow the cake to cool. 

Step 7: Make the chocolate ganache by heating the cream in a saucepan and pouring it over the chocolate chips in a bowl. Cover the bowl for 3-5 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt.

Step 8: Stir the chocolate ganache gently until it’s completely melted and smooth. Pour the chocolate ganache on top of the cake and top with a few decorative nuts. Refrigerate the cake for at least 30-60 minutes or longer. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How to store finished cake

I usually just cover it with a cake dome or place it in an airtight container and store it at room temperature for 1-2 days. 

Refrigerate for up to an additional week but I recommend freezing it to keep it more fresh.

To freeze the whole cake, refrigerate it until it’s firm. Then wrap it in plastic wrap so it’s completely covered. Then wrap it in aluminum foil and freeze. 

To freeze slices, place the slices in an airtight container and then place the container in a freezer bag, squeezing out all the excess air. 

Bring it back to room temperature by thawing at room temperature for a few hours before serving. 

Thanks so much for reading today’s post, if you have any questions just comment down below. Make sure to leave it in the comment section because I can’t answer in the rating section.

If you make this, I’d love it if you left a star rating for me. If it’s less than five stars, please leave a comment with the rating so I know why! 🙂

As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B