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How fun is this Moroccan inspired almond phyllo cake?
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Its fun shape is what gives it the nickname “snake” cake. Traditionally, this cake is made up layers of phyllo dough wrapped around a filling of almond paste and orange blossom water. It’s then topped with almonds and dusted generously with powdered sugar. Since I love a little chocolate in my desserts, I decided to make a chocolate version. YESS, a chocolate version and it is just as delicious as it sounds.
The first step to making this cake is making the almond paste, which consists of almonds, honey, an egg yolk, vanilla, rose water, and butter. I didn’t end up grinding down my almonds into a complete paste because I wanted it a bit chunkier. Once the almonds are finely ground, you’ll then add the chopped chocolate. From here, it’s time to assemble the cake. Don’t be afraid of working with phyllo dough, it’s actually very simple. And don’t stress too much about any tears, all that matters is you get the cake into one piece. No one is going to care if it’s a bit messy because it’s going to taste delicious…and really, that’s all that matters!
This is best served warm right out of the oven, but is almost as good at room temperature. Just remember, butter is your friend here. It keeps they phyllo from tearing…okok and also helps to make the cake taste amazing.
And lastly? Just be sure to dust generously with powdered sugar. It will hide any tears and make for a perfectly sweet cake.
Check out these other HBH recipes with Phyllo dough::
- Whipped Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake
- Easy Pistachio Chocolate Baklava
- Greek Spinach and Feta Pie (Spanakopita)
- Blackberry Peach Galette
- Easy Ginger Peach Galette
Moroccan Chocolate Almond Phyllo Cake (Snack Cake).
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw almonds
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon rose water, (optional)
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
- 6 ounces semi-sweet or dark chocolate, chopped
- 12 sheets thawed phyllo dough
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) melted butter
- honey, chopped pistachios, powdered sugar, and dried roses, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet with butter.2. In a food processor, combine the almonds, powdered sugar, cinnamon, egg yolk, vanilla, rose water, if using, and 6 tablespoons butter. Pulse until a paste begins to form. Add the chocolate and pulse until the chocolate is finely chopped.3. On a clean work surface, gently lay 3 sheets phyllo down vertically, side by side, overlapping the edges by a 1/4 an inch. Brush with butter. Next top with three more sheets of phyllo dough (just like the first set, right on top, and vertical), again, brush the top with butter. Repeat with the remaining sheets of phyllo until you have 4 layers (and 3 rows). 4. Spoon the almond paste along the long edge of the phyllo dough. Now gently roll the phyllo dough up and over the paste to create a log. Brush the log with butter and then gently spiral the log into a coil. Don’t worry if you have some places where the dough tears, it will be fine. Place the spiral onto the prepared baking sheet. Brush the top with the remaining butter. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the phyllo is lightly golden.5. Serve dusted with powder sugar or honey.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I just made this and I’m absolutely in love. It’s the solution to all my problems right now. I’ll be consuming so much phyllo dough in the next few months.
Yes!! Thank you so much Tala! xTieghan
Hey there, I made this earlier this year and it turned out great, wanting to make it again. 🙂 But I only have puff pastry sheets, will that work for rolling? And also how would you recommend storing it, as I am hoping to make it the night before. I’m guessing just in an airtight container on the counter? Thanks, love all your recipes that I’ve tried!
HI! I think puff pastry will be a little thick and you will not bake able to layer and roll the cake very well. I would recommend using phyllo dough. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Love this recipe! Nice to make something different for a change. I appreciated your notes. My phyllo ripped a bit when I curled the roll up. You were right! It didn’t even matter! 🙂
I am so glad you loved this Becca! Thank you so much!
Hey Tieghan!
I made this cake last weekend for a dinner party, but unfortunately it didnt turn out quite right. The filling was delicious, but the layers of phyllo, particularly those towards the middle, didn’t crisp up and stayed quite soft and doughy 🙁 Being from Ireland, I’m not sure if our butter/pastry is the same as yours in the US, and it’s the only thing I can think of that might have effected it, as I followed your recipe to the letter. Anyways, any tips or advice you might have would be awesome. It’s the only recipe of yours I’ve made, that hasn’t turned out quite right and would love to try it again in the future. Congrats on the book, it’s on my Christmas list this year! 😉
Thanks again,
Laura
HI Laura! So I am not really sure what happened, especially since your pastry might be different from mine. Is the pastry on the thicker side? So sorry for the trouble!! Please let me know if you have other questions. Thanks! 🙂
Thanks for the reply Tiegan, no need to apologise, it’s not your fault! I’m just so keen to make this cake work! So my phyllo pastry was really thin, like phyllo should be, and I used the 12 sheets as you have in your recipe. Once it was all rolled up and cooked in the oven, I found that all the butter I’d used to coat the outside stopped the outter layer from going crispy while cooking, and the layers of phyllo closer to the filling were still very soft and ‘floury’. I thought using phyllo that all 12 layers would crisp up. Maybe I should try cook it using less layers of phyllo? No problem if you’re not sure, I just thought I’d ask, in case you had any tips. Thanks for taking the time to reply!
Yes! I would try using less layers. Maybe use about 8 and see how that goes! Please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Thanksgiving! ?
Do you think this could be made in advance and frozen raw? Then thawed and baked?
I think that would work out great!! Hope you love the recipe and let me know if you have any other questions. 🙂
I can’t wait to try!
I hope you love it Jen!
This looks incredible! I’m thinking of bringing it to a Mother’s Day brunch
Ooo! Perfect! I hope she loves it (:
Waw dishes are delicious tantalizing good
mesin roti
Thank you!
where’s the chocolate in recipe
Hey Ann!
So sorry! It is 6 ounces of dark or semi-sweet chocolate. recipe is now fixed. Hope you love this and let me know if you have other questions. Thank you! 🙂
How much chocolate? Thanks!
Hey Stephanie!
So sorry! It is 6 ounces of dark or semi-sweet chocolate. recipe is now fixed. Hope you love this and let me know if you have other questions. Thank you! 🙂
How much and what kind of chocolate? It’s not in the recipe.
Hey mercedes!
So sorry! It is 6 ounces of dark or semi-sweet chocolate. recipe is now fixed. Hope you love this and let me know if you have other questions. Thank you! 🙂
Hi tieghan!
Can’t find the chocolate quantity in the ingred list (:
Going to make this asap, too delicious to wait ???
Hey Eva!!
So sorry! It is 6 ounces of dark or semi-sweet chocolate. recipe is now fixed. Hope you love this and let me know if you have other questions. Thank you! 🙂
The chocolate is missing from the recipe – what type did you use?
So sorry! It is 6 ounces of dark or semi-sweet chocolate. recipe is now fixed. Hope you love this and let me know if you have other questions. Thank you! 🙂
I wonder if this would work with regular puff pastry, because I don’t really like the taste of phyllo… the insides look sooooooooooo good!!
https://bloglairdutemps.blogspot.pt/
Hey Ruth! Unfortunately, I don’t think puff pastry will work here. It will not roll like the phyllo. You could just spread the filling out over puff pasty in an even layer and then bake it like you would a tart. Hope that helps! 🙂
This looks so unique and delicious! I have never heard of Snake Cake before, but it kind of reminds me of baklava, which I LOVE. 🙂 I hope I get to try it sometime!!
Ooo it does remind me of baklava! So yummy! Hope you get to try it to Alia, thank you!