Combine the sugar, water, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, cloves, and honey in a saucepan.

Place over medium heat and stir occasionally until it comes to a boil.

Boil for 1 minute, then turn off the heat.

Zest the lemon before juicing it, and set the zest aside for the cheesecake filling. Let the syrup cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan-forced).

Brush a 26 cm springform pan with melted butter. Keep a tray under the pan for the entire process, especially during baking, to catch any dripping butter.

Lay a sheet of phyllo pastry in the pan and brush with melted butter. Repeat with just under half of the sheets, brushing each layer generously. Do your best to avoid tearing the sheets and press them neatly into the sides of the pan.

Trim any overhanging phyllo and keep the off-cuts aside under a damp kitchen towel for later use.

Bake for 12–15 minutes or until the phyllo is golden and crisp. If the phyllo puffs while baking, you can press it down gently mid-bake or after it's done. A few cracks are fine and won’t affect the result.

In a large bowl, combine the almonds, pistachios, and walnuts.

Add powdered sugar, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, melted butter, and 50 grams from the syrup previously prepared. Mix well until evenly coated.

Set aside for assembly.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy.

Add the Greek yogurt, flour, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and eggs. Mix everything together until fully combined. Be gentle to avoid overmixing, which helps keep the filling light.

Set aside for assembly.

Spread the entire nut mixture evenly over the baked phyllo base and press it down firmly to compact.

Place the reserved phyllo off-cuts over the nuts, brushing with melted butter. Add one more layer of phyllo pastry on top and brush with melted butter.

Pour the cheesecake filling over the phyllo and spread evenly with a spatula.

Layer the remaining phyllo sheets on top, brushing each with melted butter.

Using a sharp knife, score the top phyllo layer into triangles, ensuring not to cut through to the filling. Keep the score lines from crossing or touching. Place a whole clove in the centre of each triangle for garnish.

Roll the overhanging phyllo inward to form a neat border around the edge. Brush the border with melted butter and ensure it stays inside the pan for easy removal after baking.

Before baking, you can trim the crusty phyllo edges that overhang the springform pan to make removing the cake easier after it’s baked. Alternatively, you can choose to do this later once it has cooled.

Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C (fan-forced) and bake for 60–70 minutes, or until the phyllo is golden and the cheesecake is set. Use a thermometer to check the filling (65–70°C in the centre internally).

Once baked, immediately pour most of the cooled syrup around the edges of the cheesecake, ensuring some reaches the middle.

Allow the syrup to soak in at room temperature for a few hours.

Chill the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Remove the springform pan and transfer the cheesecake to a serving dish or cake stand.

To serve, cut along the pre-scored triangles and enjoy your beautifully layered baklava cheesecake!