Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 10-inch pie dish or cake pan.

Lay two sheets of phyllo. Starting on the short side, scrunch the sheets up like an accordion until they’re about one inch thick. Roll into a circle, it will look like a layered rose. Place into pie dish. Repeat until you’ve filled the pie dish. Bake for 10 minutes.

In a small saucepan, melt butter. Remove cake from the oven and pour butter evenly, using a brush to get to every nook and cranny. Return cake to the oven for another 10 minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cardamom (if using). Remove cake from the oven and pour custard over the phyllo before returning it to the oven until the top is golden and crispy, 30-40 minutes.

Make the syrup. In a small saucepan, bring sugar, water, lemon juice, and orange blossom water to a boil. Cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

Remove cake from the oven, pour syrup evenly and smooth with a brush. Cool before slicing. Enjoy!