Michelle's Crinkle Cake

INGREDIENTS:

(Crinkle Cake) -

2 cinnamon sticks

6 cardamom pods

2 cloves

1 1/2 cups 3..5% milk

2 lbs phyllo pastry

1 1/2 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

2 red plums, thinly sliced into half moons

1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios

2 tbsp nigella seeds

2 tbsp dried rose petals

(Simple Syrup) - 

2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tablespoon orange zest

3/4 cup granulated sugar

 

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Toast cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves over medium heat in a cast iron pan until fragrant and toasted, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and lightly grind. Transfer spices to a sauce pan with milk and heat over low, stirring occasionally, until milk is lightly fragrant, about 10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the Matheson Cast iron pan with butter. Working 2 sheets at a time, fold the phyllo pastry like an accordion. The folds should be about 2.5-3 inches thick. Place the folded sheets in the cast iron pan, so the folds face downward. Continue with remaining sheets until the whole pan is filled. Feel free to make concentric circles with the pastry or create a design pattern of your own.
  3. Bake the phyllo for 10 minutes until its just beginning to get golden. Remove from oven and pour butter evenly over the pastry. Return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes until golden.
  4. Meanwhile, strain the spices from the milk. Whisk together the sugar and eggs. Slowly stream milk in and whisk until mixture is smooth. Add in nutmeg and stir.
  5. Arrange the plum slices within the creases of the pastry, spreading them evenly throughout the cake.
  6. Pour the custard over the pastry and return to the oven until golden and custard is cooked through, about 35 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile make a simple syrup by combining the orange juice, sugar and zest in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then simmer until reduce by half. It should be the consistency of a thin syrup.
  8. Pour the syrup over the cake immediately when it comes out of the oven and decorate with chopped pistachios, nigella seeds and dried rose petals.
  9. Serve warm.