Baklava Orange Spice Cake

The "cousins" in my husband's family recently started a tradition of getting together every other Sunday.  We take turns hosting a casual dinner and inviting all of the cousins.  It's a time for food, stories, and most importantly- keeping those family connections in tact.  It's such a sweet tradition and we have a great time whenever we're able to go.  There are many cousins in my husband's family and even after almost six years together, I'm still not clear on how everybody is connected.  The dinner for the week was scheduled and our sweet host announced that she was planning a Greek/Mediterranean style meal.  I offered to bring something and she asked for dessert (to be fair gave her two options- dessert and Ouzo).  I immediately started doing some Pinterest "research" for Greek or  Mediterranean style party cakes.  There wasn't much inspiration to be found and I wondered about doing a baklava "cake".  There wasn't too much on that, either.  Apparently somebody had figured out how to make baklava cheesecake and baklava cupcakes, just not what I was looking for.  Finally I found a gorgeous image of cake that had a layer of baklava in the center.  There was no recipe or instructions, but I was up for the challenge.  I grew up eating Greek style baklava- this is baklava that is sliced and drizzled in honey and eaten with a spoon or fork.  I didn't know any other kind of baklava until my husband and I met and I tried the baklava that he grew up eating- which I suppose is more of a Lebanese style.  It seemed more like a cookie filled with nuts (very tasty... but different).  He didn't know there was any other kind of baklava until I introduced him to Greek style baklava at our favorite Greek restaurant- he sort of snickered behind the waiter's back after he'd asked us if we wanted two spoons, "a spoon for baklava?"  Sure enough he used that spoon.
Despite my love for the nutty and sweet dessert, I had never actually made baklava.  I turned to my gal, The Pioneer Woman for help.  I followed her easy recipe for baklava and added some additional twists (cinnamon mixed with the nuts and orange infused simple syrup as the base for the honey drizzle sauce).  I also baked mine in a round cake pan and skipped slicing into the layers before putting it in the oven.  It really was not at all intimidating!  
The final result is layers of delicious spice cake infused with orange, cream cheese filling, and pecan baklava (that has been drenched in an orange honey sauce) and topped candied orange peels and drizzled in more of that yummy orange honey sauce.  Opa!