Description
Discover the magic of Sweet Feta Honey Cake! This unique dessert blends salty feta with sweet honey for a truly unforgettable treat. Learn my personal recipe.
Ingredients
Scale
- Cake Base:
- 1 lb (450g) phyllo pastry, thawed if frozen
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, melted
- Sweet & Savory Swirl:
- 1 lb (450g) good quality feta cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup (30g) fine semolina
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups (360ml) whole milk
- Zest of 1 large orange
- Honey Syrup:
- 1 cup (240ml) honey
- 1/2 cup (120ml) water
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Finishing Touches:
- 1/4 cup (30g) toasted pistachios, chopped
- Extra honey for drizzling
Instructions
- Get That Syrup Simmering: First things first, let’s make the honey syrup. In a small saucepan, combine your honey, water, fresh lemon juice, and that lovely cinnamon stick. Bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring just until the honey dissolves. Let it bubble for about 5 minutes, then take it off the heat and let it cool completely. This is crucial! A hot cake needs cold syrup, or it gets soggy. Trust me, I learned that the hard way when my first Feta Cheese & Honey Cake turned into a sweet, gooey puddle.
- Whisk Up the Feta Filling Magic: While your syrup is chilling, tackle the filling. In a large bowl, crumble that beautiful feta cheese. Add the semolina, eggs, whole milk, and that vibrant orange zest. Now, get in there with a whisk and mix everything until it’s just combined. You don’t want to overmix; a few small feta lumps are totally fine, even desirable! This is where the magic happens, where salty meets creamy, and it starts smelling absolutely divine. I always take a little sniff at this stage; it’s so inviting.
- Assemble Your Feta Honey Cake Layers: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grab a 9×13-inch baking dish. Brush the bottom and sides generously with some of that melted butter. Now, the phyllo! Lay one sheet in the dish, letting the excess hang over the sides, and brush it with butter. Repeat with 5 more sheets, so you have 6 buttered layers. Pour your feta filling evenly over the phyllo. Then, fold the overhanging phyllo edges back over the filling. Brush them with butter. This is where I sometimes get a little messy, butter flying everywhere, but it’s all part of the fun!
- Layer On the Crispy Top: Now, for the top layers of your Feta Cheese & Honey Cake. Take another phyllo sheet, scrunch it loosely into a crumpled, airy ball, and place it on top of the filling. Brush it with butter. Repeat this scrunching and buttering process with the remaining 5 phyllo sheets, arranging them to cover the filling completely. This crumpled technique gives the top a gorgeous, rustic, crispy texture. Don’t worry if it looks a bit wild; that’s the charm!
- Bake Until Golden Goodness: Pop your Feta Cheese & Honey Cake into the preheated oven. Bake for about 45-55 minutes, or until the phyllo is deeply golden brown and crispy, and the filling looks set. You’ll know it’s ready when your kitchen smells like a dream—a warm, sweet, slightly tangy aroma that just makes your stomach rumble. Keep an eye on it; phyllo can go from golden to burnt pretty quickly, I’ve had my share of ‘oops’ moments there!
- The Grand Finale: Syrup & Serve!: As soon as you pull the Feta Honey Cake out of the oven, immediately pour that cooled honey syrup evenly over the hot cake. You’ll hear a satisfying sizzle, and the cake will soak up all that sweet goodness. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes, or even better, an hour, to absorb the syrup and cool down a bit. This resting time is crucial for the flavors to meld beautifully. Before serving, sprinkle with toasted pistachios and maybe a final drizzle of extra honey. It looks stunning and tastes even better!