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The first time I tried to make real baklava, I cried. Not dramatic, sobbing tears—just the sort of frustrated, silent tears that come when you realize you’ve buttered yourself into a corner. Phyllo sheets tearing, sticky counters, butter pooling in places it shouldn’t. My youngest, bless him, wandered through the kitchen and asked if I was “making paper crafts or food.” That was enough to make me laugh through it, but the pan of baklava never did set right. We ate it anyway—too sweet, soggy bottom, like eating nuts wrapped in damp tissue paper.
Now, my mother (who would’ve been quick to scold me for wasting food) used to say: there’s more than one way to skin a cat. I hate that saying—it’s awful, really—but the meaning holds. There’s more than one way to get that sweet-nut-honey comfort, and this Baklava Bundt Cake? Well, it’s the way that actually lets you sit down and drink your coffee while it bakes, instead of babysitting phyllo like a nervous nanny.
I baked this last Christmas Eve, when I was already overwhelmed—gifts unwrapped, one child stuck in the airport, and my husband insisting that “nobody cares about dessert, just make cookies.” (He’s wrong, for the record. People always care about dessert.) I pulled this cake from the oven, drizzled it with honey sauce, and—this part I remember vividly—it looked regal, like it had strutted straight out of a bakery window. I snapped a picture with my phone and sent it to my stranded daughter at the airport. Her reply was just: “Save me a slice.”
Why You’ll Love It
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It tastes like baklava’s younger, easier-going cousin—no phyllo tantrums.
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The nut topping caramelizes into this crackly, golden layer that feels fancier than it has any right to be.
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You start with a box of cake mix, which is nothing to be ashamed of. I’ve decided life’s too short to measure flour when the box does the job.
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The honey-lemon drizzle… oh my goodness. Sweet, tart, sticky, everything that makes your fork hover for another bite.
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It keeps surprisingly well, which means you can sneak a slice at midnight (done it more than once).
Ingredient Notes
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Pistachios & Walnuts: You can swap in pecans if that’s what you’ve got in your pantry. I once tried almonds—tasty but missing the earthiness of walnuts.
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Butter: The recipe calls for melted butter in the cake and topping. Use real butter. Margarine won’t carry the same flavor. My sister still insists on margarine, and I swear it tastes faintly of plastic wrap.
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Buttermilk: Don’t skip this. It gives the boxed mix some backbone, almost bakery-like. In a pinch, stir a tablespoon of lemon juice into a cup of milk and let it sit a few minutes—it curdles up into a decent substitute.
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Honey: I’m partial to the wildflower honey I pick up at the farmer’s market. Once I tried clover honey from the grocery store—it worked fine, but the flavor wasn’t as deep.
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Corn Syrup: Some people wrinkle their nose at it, but here it’s just enough to help the topping stay glossy and sticky instead of grainy.
Instructions (The Honest, Slightly Messy Version)
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Preheat & Prep: Set the oven to 325°F. Grease the living daylights out of your bundt pan—get into every ridge and crevice, or you’ll be scraping cake out with a spoon later. (Yes, I’ve done it. We still ate it with spoons like animals.)
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Nut Topping: In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar, corn syrup, nuts, and cinnamon. Stir until the sugar dissolves and it smells like a carnival booth selling candied nuts. Pour this into the bundt pan—spread it evenly if you can, but don’t stress, it’ll melt and spread on its own while baking.
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Cake Batter: Mix the cake mix, eggs, melted butter, and buttermilk in a large bowl. I just use a whisk until smooth—no need for fancy mixers. Pour this gently over the nut mixture in the bundt pan.
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Bake: Slide it into the oven for 38–42 minutes. Mine usually hits perfect doneness at 40 minutes, but every oven is a bit of a liar. Stick a toothpick in the center—if it comes out clean, you’re golden.
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Honey Sauce: While the cake bakes, combine the sugar, lemon juice, and water in a small saucepan. Heat over medium until the sugar dissolves and it looks clear—about 4–5 minutes. Stir in the honey, cook for one more minute, then set it aside to cool. It thickens as it sits, so don’t panic if it looks too thin at first.
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Invert & Drizzle: Let the cake rest for 12 minutes in the pan (not longer or it will glue itself in there). Invert onto a serving plate—say a quick prayer—and drizzle the cooled honey sauce over the top. Don’t rush it; let it seep into the ridges.
Variations & Substitutions
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Nut Options: Pecans for walnuts, hazelnuts for pistachios… though if you try cashews, be warned, they turn a bit rubbery when baked.
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Spice It Up: Add a whisper of cardamom or orange zest to the nut mixture if you want more of a Middle Eastern profile. I did this once after reading a recipe in an old church cookbook—it was divine.
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Box Mix Hack: If you only have yellow cake mix, it works fine. Just expect a slightly denser, richer cake.
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Boozy Touch: I once (accidentally) splashed a little brandy into the honey syrup instead of water. It worked beautifully, though the kids turned their noses up. More for me.
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Chocolate Drizzle: My neighbor swears by drizzling melted dark chocolate alongside the honey. I haven’t tried it, but I imagine it’d look fancy.
Storage & Reheating Tips
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I leave mine covered on the counter for two days. After that, it goes in the fridge. The honey keeps it moist, almost too moist if you’re not careful.
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To reheat: zap a slice in the microwave for 10–12 seconds. Any longer and you’ll scald your tongue on molten sugar (been there).
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This cake also freezes surprisingly well—wrap slices individually, then warm them straight from the freezer. It’s a treat to find in the back corner months later.
Closing Notes
There’s a peculiar satisfaction in pulling off a dessert that looks harder than it was. This cake fools people. They’ll assume you fussed for hours, layering phyllo like an artist, when in reality you were sitting with your feet up, watching Jeopardy reruns while it baked.
I like to serve it on a plate that used to belong to my grandmother—it’s chipped, floral, from the days when things weren’t microwave safe but nobody cared. Maybe it’s sentimental, or maybe dessert really does taste better when served with a story.
If you try this, don’t forget: take a picture before it disappears. Cakes like this vanish faster than you think. I’m still annoyed about last Christmas, when my son took the last slice before I got a second helping. He shrugged and said, “You made it, you’ve had your share.” I suppose he was right, but still—sometimes a mother deserves the last piece.
Anyway. Make it, enjoy it, tweak it to your liking. And if your honey drizzle drips off the plate and makes a sticky mess on the table—well, that’s half the fun.
Baklava Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup pistachios roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup walnuts roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- cinnamon pinch
- 1 14.25 oz white cake mix
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/3 cup honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and grease a standard bundt pan. Set aside.
- For the nut topping, combine butter, pistachios, walnuts, brown sugar, corn syrup, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until butter is melted and sugar dissolves. Spread mixture into the prepared bundt pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, eggs, melted butter, and buttermilk just until smooth. Pour over nut topping in the pan.
- Bake for 38–42 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 12 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
- While the cake bakes, prepare the sauce: in a small saucepan, combine sugar, lemon juice, and water. Cook for 4–5 minutes. Stir in honey and cook for 1 more minute. Let cool to thicken.
- Drizzle the cooled honey sauce over the slightly warm cake and serve.
Notes