Persian Baklava Cake

Instructions

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1. 1 Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Lightly grease bottom and sides of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and line bottom of pan with parchment paper; set aside.
2. 2 In a small mixing bowl, stir together yogurt, rose water, and steeped liquid saffron.
3. 3 In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, almond flour, pistachio flour, baking powder, finely ground cardamom, and salt until thoroughly combined and lump-free.
4. 4 In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk sugar and orange zest on low speed until zest is evenly distributed and sugar appears moistened and clumped, about 1 minute.
5. 5 Add butter to sugar and orange zest mixture and mix on medium-low speed for until blended 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whisk until pale and fluffy, about another 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
6. 6 Reduce mixer speed to low and add eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl after each addition.
7. 7 Add prepared yogurt mixture and mix at low speed until combined, about 1 minute.
8. 8 Move mixing bowl from stand mixer to kitchen counter. With a silicone spatula, fold in one third of prepared flour mixture until partially mixed. Repeat with another third of flour mixture, then with remaining flour mixture; continue mixing with spatula until no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Batter will be very thick.
9. 9 Scrape batter into prepared baking pan. Using an offset or silicone spatula, spread batter into a smooth even layer. Bake cake, rotating pan once halfway through baking, until golden brown, center feels firm when gently pressed, and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
10. 10 For the Syrup: While cake is baking, prepare syrup. In a 2-quart saucepan, combine all syrup ingredients and heat over medium-high stir until sugar is dissolved. Once mixture starts to boil, reduce heat to rapid simmer with soft bubbles, and simmer until mixture is reduced by half and its temperature has reached about 118-120°F (47-48°C), 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Remove and discard cardamom seeds or pods.
11. 11 Once cake is baked, let it cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then run a knife around edges of pan to loosen it. Invert a large cooling rack on the cake pan, then flip over the cooling rack and cake pan together. Using oven mitts or kitchen towels, gently lift and remove pan and parchment paper.
12. 12 Cover a large cutting board with a sheet of fresh parchment paper. Re-invert cake onto parchment-covered cutting board. Use a toothpick or cake tester to poke holes all over cake’s surface. Using a pastry brush, liberally brush half of the syrup onto the cake while still warm. Let the cake cool completely, 3 to 4 hours.
13. 13 With cake on parchment-covered cutting board, use a sharp knife to cut cake into bite-size diamonds or squares (about 1 1/2 inches x 1 1/2 inches). Leave cut cake on board. Brush remaining syrup onto cake. Be more liberal with syrup when brushing over the grooves made by the knife. At this stage, the cake can be garnished and served immediately. Or, for a fuller flavor, let cake sit for up to 24 hours before garnishing and serving. (I believe the cake is best when left to soak up the syrup for a longer period of time—as the syrup penetrates the cake, it enhances its flavor.)
14. 14 For serving, garnish each bite-size piece with coarsely ground or slivered pistachios. Alternatively, garnish with any desired combination of pistachios and whole dried rose petals, crushed dried rose petals, or ground coconut flakes.