Honey Almond Cake (Tishpishti) with Citrus Syrup

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This honey almond cake was originally included in my cookbook as Tishpishti, which means quickly cooked cake in Turkish. I like to describe it as a baklava cake because of the flavored syrup, nuts, and the way you serve it - sliced in the pan then slathered and dripping with citrus syrup.

You might also enjoy my Ukrainian honey cake recipe.

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Honey almond cake on a white plate with slices of citrus in the background.

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Whenever I use the word tishpishti, I get blank yet curious stares. Is it a dance? a type of food? a place of interest to visit? Actually, it's a cake - a honey almond cake with citrus syrup. Sometimes it's made with semolina flour or regular all-purpose flour, but my version uses almond flour. And across all the variations, you'll find that nuts and orange flavor are almost always part of the recipe.

Why you'll love this recipe!

It's light: the whipped egg whites in this honey almond cake ensure it is not heavy and is a perfect receptor for the citrusy syrup.
You can make it ahead of time: Like baklava, this cake will keep in the refrigerator for several days. So if you are entertaining and want a dessert to bake ahead of time, this is a great choice.
It's gluten-free: I like the flavor of the almond flour but it also makes this cake naturally gluten-free so if you have family, friends or dinner guests that can't eat gluten, this is the cake to make.
It's dairy-free: I used olive oil as the fat so the cake is also dairy-free.
It's Passover-friendly: The added benefit of almond flour and olive oil is that this recipe is ok to use during Passover!
Tastes good too: Did I mention this baklava-style cake is delicious with toasted walnuts, citrus and cinnamon baked and drizzled in?!

Ingredients you'll need

You'll almost certainly have all the ingredients you need for the syrup in the house and for the cake batter, almond flour is fairly easy to find these days!

For the syrup:

Ingredient shot for honey almond cake syrup showing water, sugar, lemon and orange rind, cinnamon and orange juice plus optional honey substitute.

Sugar or honey: My first rendition of this recipe for the cookbook used sugar in the syrup. In later bakes, I have started to use honey which is even more appropriate for the Rosh Hashanah holiday traditions. And it makes for a great syrup too!
Citrus zest and juice: I really like the combination of lemon and orange and the tang of the lemon juice against the sweet. Should you find yourself with a tangerine and no orange, do not be dissuaded from making this. That would work too!
Cinnamon sticks: Cinnamon sticks are perfect for infusing a syrup but they come in irregular sizes. So if you love cinnamon and want to use two, go for it!

For the cake batter

Ingredient shot for tishpishti cake showing oil, sugar, eggs, juice, cinnamon, almond flour, orange zest and walnuts.

Almond flour: I usually use Bob's Red Mill fine ground almond flour but other brands are fine too. Be sure you aren't using almond meal - that is a different texture because it's made with skin-on almonds.
Walnuts: Toast and chop to a consistency similar to small pebbles.
Eggs: Be sure to bring them to room temperature.
Olive oil: Use a mildly flavored extra virgin olive oil (not your best peppery finishing oil!)
Orange juice and zest: Use the fresh juice from the orange you zest!
Cinnamon: Here you are using ground cinnamon, instead of cinnamon sticks.

Let's make this recipe step by step!

(Printable recipe card is at the end of the post with ingredients measurements and step-by-step instructions. This section includes more and larger pictures and high level explanations of the process.)

Syrup

1. Prep syrup: In a medium saucepan, boil all syrup ingredients over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes to slightly reduce the liquid. Set syrup aside to cool and continue to steep while you make the cake, then strain it.

Syrup in a measuring cup next to the strainer.

Cake Batter

2. Prep/Preheat: Chop the toasted walnuts. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-13- inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the pan with a parchment liner, allowing overhang to help remove the cake from the pan.

Nuts already chopped in a food processor top down view.

Parchment-lined glass rectangular baking pan.

3. Beat: Place egg yolks in bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the sugar and beat until mixture is pale yellow. Add olive oil, orange juice, and orange zest, and continue beating for another minute on medium-high speed. Add walnuts, almond flour, and cinnamon, reduce speed and beat until just incorporated. Transfer to a different bowl, and wash and dry the bowl of the stand mixer.

Egg yolks and sugar about to be mixed by paddle attachment in the stand mixer.

Egg yolks and sugar in process of being mixed in stand mixer.

Olive oil ready to be mixed into the egg yolk mixture.

Olive oil and citrus added and mixed into egg yolk sugar mixture.

Nuts and cinnamon ready to be mixed into the honey almond cake batter.

Baklava cake batter with nuts mixed in still in stand mixer.

Honey almond cake batter in red bowl ready for egg whites.

4. Whip: Using the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on high speed until they form stiff peaks, 1 to 2 minutes.

Egg whites for honey almond cake about to be whipped.

Stiff peak egg whites in mixer bowl with whisk showing.

5. Fold batter: Gently fold a cup of the whipped egg whites into the batter to lighten it up; then fold in the rest of the whites until evenly incorporated.

Mix in part of egg whites into cake batter.

Gently folding in first part of egg whites into the honey almond cake or tishpishti.

Adding the rest of the egg whites to the cake batter.

Cake batter with all the egg whites mixed in.

Bake and Serve

6. Bake: Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. Let the cake cool for about 5 minutes, then gently slice it into squares or diamonds. If you are not serving the cake directly from the pan, transfer it to a serving platter before pouring syrup. Pour ¾ to 1 cup syrup over the cake. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Store cake in refrigerator for up to a week.

Uncooked batter in the parchment-lined pan.

Top view of cut cake with the syrup nearby.

Close up of cut honey almond cake after the syrup has been poured over it.

Expert Tips and Recipe FAQs

Remember to bring your eggs to room temperature for this recipe.
Be sure to use superfine almond flour and not almond meal to make this cake.
If you plan to serve from the pan you bake it in, no need for the parchment.
It's fun to decorate the top with the cinnamon stick(s) you used in the syrup and the orange and lemon rinds.
A dollop of whipped cream (regular or non-dairy) would be a lovely topper!

FAQs about this baklava-style cake

Is honey almond cake gluten-free?

Yes, with the use of almond flour, this cake is gluten-free. Some version of this cake, also called tishpishti or baklava cake, can be made with semolina flour or all-purpose but this one uses almond flour and is therefore gluten-free.

Can I serve this baklava-style cake for Passover? Is it Parve?

This cake is kosher for Passover because it uses a nut-based flour and is also dairy-free!

Should I refrigerate the cake?

Yes, I refrigerate the cake and find it lasts for up to week when doing so.

What if I don't have walnuts - can I substitute another nut in this cake?

I have not tested the cake with other nuts but would not hesitate to try almonds or pecans or pistachios - I think it would be delicious!

This honey almond cake is so flavorful on it's own, I often serve it with just a few more nuts and make a touch of orange zest. But certainly you can add a dollop of whipped cream and nobody will complain! Also, if this honey almond cake will be part of a dessert buffet, you can make the pieces small so people can enjoy a slice and try some other baked goods as well.

Slice of tishpishti cake on a square plate topped with nuts and orange zest.

If you are serving this for Jewish New Year, be sure to check out my Rosh Hashanah post with lots of menu planning ideas for your celebration. If you are including this in your Passover Seder, then hop over to this Passover primer for lots more ideas for your flourless feast.

If you love baking with olive oil as much as I do, learn more about baking with olive oil from someone who wrote a whole book about it - Laura Bashar of FamilySpice.

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P.S. If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and/or a review in the comment section below. I so appreciate your feedback! AND find more inspiration on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Signup for my email list, too!