Orange Cake
This irresistible Portokalopita - Orange Cake recipe is a traditional Greek dessert, featuring layers of phyllo pastry soaked in an orange syrup. It has a subtle orange flavor, but it's those waves of pastry that make this one quite unforgettable!
Servings 10
Calories 552kcal
Ingredients
Phyllo cake
- 500 grams / 1 pound phyllo pastry
- 220 grams / 4 large eggs room temperature
- 200 grams / 1 cup superfine/caster sugar
- 2 oranges zested approximately 18 grams / 3 tablespoons, finely chopped
- 300 grams / 10.5 ounces Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 grams / 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 250 milliliters / 1 cup sunflower oil
Syrup
- 200 grams / 1 cup superfine/caster sugar
- 350 milliliters / 1 ½ cups lukewarm water
- 80 milliliters / ⅓ cup orange juice (2 medium oranges)
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
Phyllo cake
- Preheat your oven to 180C/350F and greaseproof your cake tin with 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil. Set aside.
- Cut or shred the phyllo pastry into ½ inch pieces.
- Place the eggs and sugar in a bowl and beat on medium speed with a mixer until pale and fluffy.
- Add the orange zest, greek yogurt, vanilla extract and baking powder. Beat on medium speed until well combined.
- Whilst mixing, slowly add the sunflower oil in a steady stream until well combined.
- Add in a handful of the torn phyllo pastry into the mixture and stir through to incorporate, continue adding a handful at a time and stirring until fully incorporated.
- Pour into your cake tin, smoothing out evenly and bake until golden brown, approximately 1 hour.
Syrup
- Meanwhile, place the sugar, water, orange juice and cinnamon stick into a saucepan on medium heat until simmering and the mixture has reduced somewhat, approximately 3 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Pour the syrup evenly over the top and allow to sit and at least 1 hour to soak up the syrup and cool fully.
- Slice and serve.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Phyllo pastry: Thin layers of phyllo sheets or filo pastry create layers of beautiful light layers between this orange custard. You could replace with puff pastry, though this would likely result in a different texture.
- Oranges: Whole orange is required here as the zest flavors the batter and fresh orange juice is concentrated in the homemade syrup that soaks into the cake. Medium Valencia or Naval oranges will work perfectly.
- Greek yogurt: Thick Greek yogurt helps to create a sturdy custard alongside the eggs and oil. You could replace in equal measure with plain yogurt or thick coconut yogurt, if you are dairy free.
- Sunflower oil: The oil helps bind the liquid custard to the phyllo, as well as giving fat content to the cake, resulting in a tender texture in the pastry. You could replace with vegetable oil or Olive oil for a slightly different, but equally delicious flavor.
- Cinnamon stick: Cinnamon adds depth of flavor to the syrup. If you can't source cinnamon sticks, replace with ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon. To avoid it clumping, sieve into 1 tablespoon of the syrup and combine until smooth and then pour into the remaining syrup mixture.
- Cake tin: A 20 cm or 8-inch cake tin was used, however, a standard cake tin of a similar size will work perfectly fine.
- Right consistency for your syrup: Allow the syrup to simmer vigorously for at least 2 minutes which will help dissolve the sugar completely. The syrup should be a slightly deeper color than when it was placed onto the stovetop and the consistency of the syrup should fall off your spoon, but stick ever so lightly.
- The cake can be made ahead: It can be made a day in advance to allow ample time for the syrup to soak into the cake. It can be stored covered for up to 5 days, though it is recommended to enjoy it within the first 48 hours for the best flavor.
- If you cannot source phyllo pastry: Sometimes also called filo pastry, you could try using a similar alternative such as puff pastry, although the texture and taste will likely vary.
- You can freeze this orange cake: Ensure it has cooled completely, then wrap it tightly and place in a freezer-safe container. It can be frozen for up to a month.
Nutrition
Calories: 552kcal