Recipe byThe ZestyPlate Kitchen
An Albanian honey and walnut cake, baked dense and dark, then soaked in hot sugar syrup until moist and sticky. Rich, nutty and very sweet.
Shendetlie is a traditional Albanian honey and walnut cake, soaked in syrup until it turns moist and sticky. Sweetened with honey and packed with walnuts, it is rich, dense and properly comforting. Cut into diamonds and drenched in syrup, it is lovely with a coffee or tea.
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Prep 20 min
Cook 45 min
Total 65 min
Medium
Scale:
- 3 Eggs
- 180g Melted Butter
- 700g Flour
- 100g Walnuts
- 4 tablespoons Honey
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 220g Sugar
- 450ml Water
Nutrition (per serving)
485
kcal
9g
Protein
70g
Carbs
19g
Fat
Estimated per serving. How we calculate this.
Preparation
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar and cooled melted butter, then add the honey and soda.
- Stir in half the flour and the walnuts (whole or ground) and mix well.
- Add the rest of the flour and knead by hand until you have a firm dough.
- Brush a large baking tray with olive oil (traditionally a round one, about 30cm across with a 2 to 3 inch side). Press the dough in so it fills the whole tray flat and even.
- Put it on the bottom shelf of a cold oven, turn the heat to 180°C and bake for 35 minutes, until the dough is dark brown and firm to the touch.
- Take it out and leave it to cool while you make the syrup.
- Put the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Boil for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, then take it off the heat.
- Cut the shendetlie into squares or diamonds and pour the hot syrup over, enough to cover the cake plus about 1cm sitting on top. Leave it to soak and cool for at least an hour before serving.
Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen
- Press the dough into the tin evenly so it bakes and soaks at the same rate all over.
- Bake it to a deep golden colour and a firm feel, which gives it the structure to take on the syrup.
- Pour the syrup over hot, onto the cooled cake, so it soaks all the way through.
- Give it at least an hour to absorb the syrup before you cut and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
The temperature difference helps the syrup sink in evenly without turning the cake to mush, which is what gives it that moist, sticky crumb.
Walnuts are traditional, but almonds or a mix work nicely too. Toast them first if you want a deeper flavour.
It holds up for several days in an airtight container. Plenty of people reckon it tastes even better the day after the syrup has fully soaked in.
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