We recently commissioned the help of the very talented Mary from Mary’s Kouzina to create some edible gifts for our staff, as part of our 60th birthday celebrations. Mary created these beautiful and very delicious Baklava Cupcakes which our entire team devoured in seconds! Mary used layers of Fillo Pastry as a cupcake patty, which she then filled with the most delicious cinnamon and walnut flavoured cake and topped them with a creamy salted Swiss meringue buttercream. We guarantee once you’ve made these once, they will be on repeat!
Ingredients
Makes 12 cupcakes
For the syrup
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
2 tbsp honey
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
1 strip of grated lemon zest
For the cake
200 g all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
120g butter, softened
200g caster sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
120ml whole milk
60g walnuts, chopped
For the Fillo cupcakes
12 sheets Antoniou Fillo Pastry
100g butter, melted
For the salted Swiss meringue buttercream
250 g pasteurised egg whites
2 cups caster sugar
250g unsalted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
To decorate
Rose petals
Cinnamon
Sprinkles
Pistachio nuts, chopped
Recipe tips
Work from the stack of Fillo Pastry
When using one sheet of Fillo at a time, we recommend working from the stack of Fillo Pastry to avoid the need for a tea towel.
Leftover Fillo Pastry
Take any leftover Fillo Pastry, roll up and place back in its plastic bag sealing tightly and storing in the fridge for use at a later time.
Method
Before you begin this Filo Pastry recipe, take your packet of Filo Pastry out of the fridge, still in its packaging and allow it to come up to room temperature.
To make the syrup
Combine all the syrup ingredients in a saucepan and place over a medium heat. Whisk the ingredients until the sugar has dissolved and then refrain from mixing during the boiling process. Allow the syrup to boil for 20 minutes or until it thickens. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius.
To prepare the cupcake batter
Sieve flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl. Using an electric mixer cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time until combined. Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixture on a lower speed until combined, then add the milk, mix through again, then add the other half of the dry ingredients and the chopped walnuts.
To prepare the Fillo Pastry cupcakes
Brush a 12 hole cupcake tin with melted butter. Place your stack of Filo Pastry on a clean bench and brush the top sheet with melted butter. Fold the sheet in half and then in half again. Mould it into the cupcake hole and brush with melted butter. Repeat with remaining Fillo Pastry.
Divide the cupcake mixture evenly, one tablespoon at a time, amongst each cupcake. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean and the Fillo Pastry has turned golden. As soon as you remove the cupcakes from the oven, spoon a tablespoon of syrup around the Fillo encasing the cupcake and another tablespoon in the centre of the sponge. Allow the cupcakes to cool before removing them from the tin gently.
To make the buttercream
Combine the eggs and sugar in a bowl over a saucepan filled with simmering water (ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water). Hand whisk until the heat melts the sugar (there should be no sugar granules). Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer and whisk until stiff peaks form and the meringue has cooled down.
Add a tablespoon of softened butter at a time until it has all been added to the bowl. Whisk on high until the mixture has a curdled-looking consistency (this is a good sign). Continue to whisk until the buttercream thickens and comes together to form a smooth and rich consistency. Add the cinnamon and salt and combine.
To decorate
Pipe the buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes and decorate with nuts, rose petals, cinnamon or sprinkles of your choice.
Recipe and cupcake photos by Mary’s Kouzina.
