Delicious Middle Eastern Pecan Cake

Try something a little different! This pecan cake has a few extras that you wouldn't normally expect in a traditional cake........ and is not difficult to make.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 8-10
• Yields: 1 cake

Ingredients

• Cake

• 8  free range eggs, separated
• 1  cup sugar, divided
• 1 1⁄2 cups ground pecans
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon
• 1⁄3 cup  orange juice
• 1  teaspoon orange flower water
• 1  orange, zest of, grated
• 1  pinch salt

• Syrup

• 1⁄2 cup water
• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 3  tablespoons honey
• 1  teaspoon orange flower water
• 1  teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. In mixer bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and lemon-colored. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup sugar. Stir in pecans, cinnamon, orange juice, ornage flower water and zest.
3. In another bowl, beat egg whites until foamy; add salt. Beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar, a tablespoon at a time, to stiff peaks.
4. Fold yolk mixture into whites. Pour into ungreased 9 x 13-inch baking pan, smoothing top. Bake in preheated 180°C oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
5. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes before removing from pan.
6. Syrup:.
7. In saucepan, combine water, sugar, honey orange flower water & lemon juice.
8. Bring to a boil & cook until syrup thickens, about 20 minutes .Let cool slightly.
9. Poke a few holes in the cake with a toothpick and pour hot syrup over cake. Let cool in pan.
10. Cover and refrigerate leftover cake.