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Juicy Greek Orange Cake – Portokalopita

ByElena Paravantes, MS, RD
Greek Orange Cake portokalopita


This Orange pie/cake is very popular here in Greece. It is a fragrant, juicy and decadent cake. We call it portokalo-pita, portokali means orange and while it is not exactly a pita, it does contain phyllo, but in another form. The phyllo basically replaces the flour. But don’t worry, you will not need to spread layers of phyllo for this cake, instead you get to smash and crumble it!

The Syrup Sweets

Portokalopita belongs to a family of sweets we call here in Greece siropiasta, which means that they have syrup in them. Basically the cake is drizzled with syrup after it is baked and is left to absorb all the syrup. The result? A very juicy and irresistible cake. Baklava also is made this way.

These type of “syrupy” sweets, taste better 2-3 days later as the syrup is fully absorbed. You also may notice that you will have a good amount of syrup on the surface of the cake when you first drizzle it, but don’t worry, it will be absorbed eventually, which is why you should wait at least 3 hours to after baking before serving. I also save a bit of syrup to drizzle when serving.

Juicy Greek Orange Cake Portokalopita

You may wonder why it is called orange cake. The syrup contains mostly orange juice rather than water and the orange zest in the cake gives it that zing. The syrup is made ahead of time as it is needed to be at room temperature before it is drizzled over the cake, otherwise the syrup will not be absorbed properly and you will end up with a dryish cake.

This cake is quite sweet so you do not need a large serving to satisfy your sweet tooth. I have used less sugar than usually recommended.,I also used olive oil instead of other vegetable oils and there is also a good amount of yogurt. So nutritionally it is a bit lighter than other cakes with less of the saturated fats.

Jump to Recipe

Juicy Greek Orange Olive Oil Cake – Portokalopita

Greek Orange Cake portokalopita
Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
Course: cake, Dessert
Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean, Vegetarian
Author: Elena Paravantes, MS, RD
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Ingredients

For the syrup

  • 1 ½ cup orange juice
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cinnamon stick

For the cake

  • 5 sheets of phyllo about 6 ½ ounces or 180 grams defrosted if using frozen.
  • 4 eggs
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 cup Extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 7 ½ ounces yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • orange zest from 2 medium oranges

Instructions

  • Preheat oven at 250 F (120 C).
  • Place 5 sheets phylo dough on a pan one next to the other in the oven (they may overlap) and heat for about an hour until phyllo is hard and crunchy (use fan if you have it). Turn them over half way. Once they are crunchy remove them from the oven and scrunch the phyllo breaking it in little pieces-set aside.
  • While the phyllo is drying out make the syrup (you can also make the syrup earlier).
  • In a small sauce pan mix the orange juice, water, 1 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer for 7 minutes (only stir in the beginning). Set aside to cool.
  • Start preparing the mixture for the cake: In a large bowl add the eggs, sugar, olive oil, and vanilla. Beat until frothy.
  • In a smaller bowl, mix the yogurt and baking powder and set aside for 2-3 minutes. Add the yogurt to the egg mixture and slowly fold it in.
  • Add the orange zest and the crumbled phyllo gradually, gently mixing.
  • Increase the oven temperature to 350 F (180 C).
  • Grease a casserole dish or pan (I used 9 X 13 inches) and pour in the mixture and even it out using a spatula.
  • Bake for 35-40 minutes until the surface is a dark golden color.
  • Remove from the oven make a few slashes with a sharp knife and immediately drizzle the syrup (slowly) using a large spoon. Continue adding almost all the syrup (save about 2 tablespoons).
  • Let the cake sit for at least 2-3 hours.
  • Keep in the refrigerator and let it sit out a half hour before serving.
  • Cut in square pieces and drizzle a bit of the saved syrup before serving.

SAVE FOR LATER AND PIN IT!

Juicy Greek Orange Cake

Photos by Elena Paravantes © All Rights Reserved

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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30 Comments

  1. This may be a weird ask, but do you find it’s best to use fresh-squeezed orange juice or can I use Simply Orange. I don’t really have the tools to squeeze enough oranges to make 1.5 cups of juice.

    Reply

  2. Tasted amazing, I would suggest tweaking the recipe a little.
    1 cup sugar in the syrup is enough.
    3/4 cup oil in the cake mix
    I found the ratio of cake mix to pastry wasn’t ideal, maybe 1 more egg might help bulk it out.
    I also added slices of oranges to the top of the mix in the tray, before baking it.4 stars

    Reply