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Greek Walnut Cake with Olive Oil and Dark Chocolate Chips – Karithopita

ByElena Paravantes, MS, RD

Greek Walnut CakeKarithopita comes from the Greek word karithi which means walnut, and pita which means some sort of pie or cake. Most often you will come across this Greek walnut cake drenched in syrup. Now don’t get me wrong, I love the syrupy type if I go out and order it, but for home I mostly prefer something fluffier and lighter without all that syrup. Oh, and did I mention this type is much easier and quicker to make?

There are numerous versions of this cake. Some are made with butter, others with olive oil, you can add different amount of walnuts, instead of syrup you can add powdered sugar as I did here. This is a very versatile recipe.

For this version, I used olive oil and orange juice (instead of milk), and as I was not going to add syrup I also included a few mini dark chocolate chips to sweeten it up a bit and the walnuts were finely ground resulting in a fluffy smooth cake. Apart from tasting good, you will get some of the good healthy fats from the walnuts and olive oil and there is no butter or milk . So not only tasty but heart-healthy too!

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Greek Walnut Cake with Olive Oil and Dark Chocolate Chips – Karithopita

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Greek walnut cake made with olive oil and a hint of dark chocolate.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean
Author: Elena Paravantes, MS, RD
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Ingredients

  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • ¼ cup brandy optional
  • 1 ½ cup flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ cup ground walnuts
  • ¼ cup mini dark chocolate chips
  • Powdered sugar for dusting the cake

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F (180 C)
  • In a large bowl cream the olive oil and the sugars.
  • Add the eggs one by one and mix well.
  • Add the rest of the wet ingredients (orange juice and or brandy) and mix well.
  • Ina smaller bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.
  • Add the flour mixture to the olive oil mixture and mix just enough so that the flour has been blended in.
  • Add the walnuts and chocolate chips and mix until they are spread throughout the whole batter.
  • Pour batter in a 9 inch springform pan (in this photo I had used an 8 inch, which was a bit small hence the dome).
  • Bake for about 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
  • Let it cool, and dust with powdered sugar.
Photo by Elena Paravantes

Elena Paravantes, MS, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist by the U.S. Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). She is an expert on the Mediterranean Diet. She has been active as a clinician, consultant, author and lecturer for 20 years, both in the U.S. and Greece. An expert on the Greek Mediterranean Diet, her interviews and articles have been published in many publications including CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Prevention, NPR, and Shape. Elena has collaborated with a number of organizations including Loyola University, Yale University, University of Missouri, Louisiana State University, and the American College of Greece. Elena earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and her Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She holds has a Master’s Degree of Science in Health Management.

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