Greek orange cake (Portokalopita)

As far as desserts go this is a weird one and one you have probably never come across before unless you are well…Greek! Portokalopita is undoubtedly one of my favourite Greek desserts so I knew that it should definitely have a place in my blog. Portokali means orange in Greek and while is not really a pie the addition of phyllo gives it its name. Portokalopita is a deliciously different cake and a must try for anyone that is scared of phyllo drying out too much. Why? Because we will dry it out, smash it to bits and add to our batter! The gorgeous cake will be finished off with orange and cinnamon syrup to ensure that it stays moist. With so much orange going into this cake you will definitely get your recommended daily intake of vitamin C!

Ingredients for the portokalopita

• Phyllo pastry: As this cake doesn’t contain any flour, phyllo will give the structure that this batter needs. The phyllo needs to be completely dry before it is added to the cake batter.
• Whole oranges: I decided to incorporate two whole oranges (juices and all!) in the cake to achieve the ultimate orange flavour. Boil them for 1 hour or until they are soft enough to be pureed.
• Zest from 3 oranges: Zest from 3 oranges will be added to the recipe to enhance the flavour even more. The juice from the oranges that have been zested can be used for the syrup.
• Caster sugar: There is not much sugar going into the actual batter as most of it will be added into the orange syrup.
• Rapeseed oil: By using rapeseed oil instead of butter the saturated fat can be reduced by up to 60%.
• Extra virgin olive oil: An absolute classic in Greek cuisine and another healthy and flavoursome alternative to butter.
• Full fat milk: Always use full fat milk for any baked goods as the fat plays a very important role and acts as a tenderizer and moisturiser.
• Baking powder: Baking powder will help your cake rise slightly and create fluffiness.
• Baking soda: Together with the baking powder, baking soda will neutralize the acid (orange) in the recipe and lift the batter.
• Cornstarch: As the batter itself is quite runny, cornstarch will help with ‘thickening’ the cake while baking.
• Vanilla pod: Vanilla and orange is truly a match made in heaven. Use the seeds for the inside of the cake and the emptied pods for the syrup. No waste here!
• Medium eggs: 3 medium eggs will work as another binding ingredient and make the batter fluffy.
• Orange juice: Fresh orange juice is really best for the syrup for maximum flavour. Squeeze the juice from the 3 oranges that were zested (I got 175g juice) and then top up with shop bought or more fresh juice.
• Cinnamon stick: Another much loved spice in Greek cuisine and my personal favourite.

For the syrup

• 700g caster sugar
• 500g water
• 300g orange juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 vanilla pod (use seeds for the cake)

For the portokalopita (makes 32cm x 25cm/serves 10-12)

• 450g phyllo pastry sheets
• 2 medium sized oranges
• Zest from 3 oranges
• 250g caster sugar
• 110g rapeseed oil
• 110g extra virgin olive oil
• 250g full fat milk
• 5g baking powder
• 5g baking soda
• 20g cornstarch
• 1 vanilla pod
• 3 medium eggs

For the syrup 

1. In a medium pot, place sugar, water, cinnamon stick, emptied vanilla pods and transfer over medium heat.
2. When the syrup comes to a boil, remove from the heat, add the orange juice and set aside to cool . 

For the portokalopita

1. In a medium pot filled with water boil the 2 oranges for 1 hour. When cooked, drain the oranges and set aside till needed.
2. Preheat the oven to 100C fan.
3. While the oranges are boiling, spread the phyllo sheets onto your working surface and crinkle them one by one like an accordion and place on two large baking trays.
4. Place the trays in the preheated oven and bake until they are completely dried out. You should hear the snap when you break them.
5. Increase the temperature to 160C fan.
6. When your oranges are cooked, carefully cut them in half* and place them in a food processor together with the sugar and blend till smooth.
7. Next add the eggs, milk, both oils, vanilla seeds, orange zest, baking powder, baking soda and cornstarch. Blend well until everything is homogenised and transfer into a big bowl.
8. Using your hands, crumble the phyllo sheets until they broken up and add them to your batter in two-three batches. Mix well with a spatula until everything is just combined.
9. Spray some non stick spray onto a 32×25 cm baking pan and spread the mixture inside using a cranked palette knife.
10. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when inserted in the cake.
11. Remove from the oven and with a small ladle pour the cold now syrup over the orange cake.
12. Allow 30 minutes for the syrup to be absorbed*, cut into 10-12 square pieces and serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.
13. You can store the portokalopita in the refrigerator, covered with cling film for up to 5 days*.
14. Enjoy 🙂

Notes

• The syrup is made ahead of time as it needs to be at room temperature before drizzled over the cake, otherwise the syrup will not be absorbed properly resulting in a dry cake. The general rule is either room temperature syrup and hot cake or room temperature cake and hot syrup.
• I tried blending the oranges both warm and cooled and it didn’t actually make a difference as by blending the oranges with the sugar will help with cooling them down.
• You might think that you have too much syrup when you first drizzle, but don’t worry it will be absorbed eventually, which is why you should wait minimum 30 minutes before cutting and serving.
• These kind of ‘syrupy’ desserts, taste better 2-3 better later as the syrup is fully absorbed. I personally like to try one slice every day to see the differences. I call it research!

Meringue kisses
Athina xx