The Middle East is a mystery to me. Although I am quite familiar with the famous Middle Eastern dessert of baklava - the puffy pastry filled with honey, nuts and dates. My only other association with the Middle East is Turkey. The country of exquisite mosques with the Bosphorus River dividing Europe and Asia.
Hagia Sophia: First a Greek Orthodox basilica, then an Imperial mosque,
and currently a museum. (Photo credit)
Turkey is also the place where a handsome young American was doing 007 work and promoting democracy with Radio Free Europe. And met a beautiful young American on her way to becoming a tennis star at a cocktail party. The twosome produced two daughters; one of them you know as The Ninja Baker.
Middle Eastern affairs of the heart are the extent of my knowledge. But Amanda Mouttaki of Maroc Mama is an expert in the cuisines and cultures of the Middle East. (Her post about Turkish baklava will bring on big time cravings for the dessert.) Naturally Amanda is the host for this week’s virtual #SundaySupper where foods from the region will be featured. (Scroll down for details of how to reserve a seat at the #SundaySupper Twitter event.)
The Ninja Baker's Easy Baklava Cake
I made baklava cake for the Middle Eastern #SundaySupper. I tucked dates and walnuts into a honey cream cheese frosting between two layers of American yellow cake. Combining the dense, crunchy date and nut filling of the Middle Eastern baklava with the soft fluffy cake was a good idea. Okay. A great idea! My fears about an overly sweet dessert were assuaged with my first bite of baklava cake. The honey cream cheese which provides the filling and frosting for the baklava cake is here.
