Passover Honey Nut Cake in Soaking Syrup

Recipe from Kosher Cooking web site for ZWTII 2006. This recipe has a Middle Eastern tone which adds to this cakes appeal. It is much like Baklava in concept but flour free making perfect for passover

• Ready In: 6 hrs
• Serves: 10-12
• Yields: 10-12 slices

Ingredients

• Cake

• 3⁄4 cup white sugar
• 1⁄4 cup brown sugar
• 1⁄4 cup  oil
• 3  eggs
• 3  tablespoons  orange juice
• 1  tablespoon orange zest, finely chopped
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon (use 1/2 tsp for a more pronounced cinnamon flavor)
• 1⁄2 cup  matzo cake crumbs
• 1⁄2 cup hazelnuts or 1⁄2 cup  almonds, finely chopped
• 1  cup walnuts, finely chopped

• Soaking Syrup

• 2⁄3 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 cup honey
• 1⁄3 cup  orange juice
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 1  tablespoon lemon juice
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 7 inch round layer cake pan (if you do not have one, you can use a round foil pan of the same size available in the supermarket bake aisle).
2. In a medium sized bowl, using a wire whisk, beat the sugars, oil, and eggs. Beat very well until the mixture is thick and a pale yellow. Stir in orange juice, zest, salt, cinnamon, cake meal, and nuts. Turn Batter into prepared cake pan.
3. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until top is light brown and set. (Cool at least twenty minutes before adding Syrup). Meanwhile prepare Soaking syrup.
4. Soaking Syrup:
5. In medium saucepan, heat the sugar, honey, orange juice, water, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Heat to dissolve sugar and simmer 5-10 minutes until mixture becomes yrupy. Cool well.
6. Pour Syrup over cooled cake, poling holes in cake with a fork, to permit syrup to penetrate cake. Allow to stand 2 to 4 hours to absorb syrup. You might prefer to refrigerate the cake so that while it is absorbing liquid, it is also firming. Also, The chilled cake offsets it innate sweetness and makes it easier to cut. Serve it on muffin liners, Splayed out as pastry or confection cups, or on pastry doilies.