Halvah Cake

Using an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar. Add the remaining batter ingredients, except the pine nuts, and blend to form a smooth batter.

Spread the batter evenly in a greased 9-by-13-inch cake pan. Sprinkle the pine nuts on top of the batter.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

In a small pan heat all the ingredients for the syrup. Boil the syrup until it begins to thicken a bit, about 6 minutes.

Remove from the heat and cool until just very warm to touch. Hold a saucer over the cake and drizzle the warm syrup onto the saucer and thus onto the cake. This will prevent your marring the surface of the cake.

Cover the cake pan with plastic wrap and allow the cake to sit for 2 hours so the syrup will be absorbed. This cake provides 12 to 15 servings.