Portokalopita (Greek Orange Cake)

A close-up of a slice of moist portokalopita orange phyllo cake with caramelized orange pieces on top, served on a white plate with a gold rim.

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Portokalopita (Greek Orange Cake)

Looking for a citrus dessert with serious WOW factor? Try my Portokalopita recipe! This traditional Greek orange phyllo cake is drenched in a sweet citrus syrup and packed with vibrant flavor. The secret is in the dried, shredded phyllo dough that makes it unbelievably fluffy and moist.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Drying Phyllo2

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Greek

Keyword: Portokalopita recipe

Servings:

Calories: 372kcal

Author: Lucy Parissi | Supergolden Bakes

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Orange Syrup

1 cup (250ml) fresh orange juice
¼ cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
1 ½ cups (300g) sugar , granulated
1 large orange , sliced
½ stick cinnamon (optional)
2 whole cloves (optional)
½ pod vanilla (optional)

For the Portokalopita

1 lb (450g) phyllo pastry
1 cup (200g) sugar , granulated
2 tbsp orange zest
4 large eggs , room temperature
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1 cup (240g) Greek yogurt , full-fat
½ cup (125ml) fresh orange juice
¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice
1 cup (240ml) neutral oil (eg. vegetable / sunflower / canola)
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda (=bicarbonate of soda)
¼ tsp salt

Instructions

Dry the Phyllo

Remove your phyllo pastry from the packaging and unroll it. Use scissors to roughly cut the sheets into thin ribbons.
1 lb (450g) phyllo pastry
Spread them out in a loose single layer on two large baking sheets. Leave them on the counter for a few hours to dry out, tossing them occasionally. Alternatively, place the baking sheets in a very low-temp oven (200°F / 90°C) for 10-15 minutes, giving an occasional stir, until the pastry is completely dry and brittle.
Once the phyllo is fully dry, break it up into very small pieces using your hands. The result should have a slightly rough texture.

Make the Orange Syrup

Make the syrup while the phyllo is drying, so it has time to cool. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, orange juice, lemon juice, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla and orange slices.
1 cup (250ml) fresh orange juice, ¼ cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice, 1 ½ cups (300g) sugar, 1 large orange, ½ stick cinnamon , 2 whole cloves, ½ pod vanilla
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the syrup thickens slightly.
Remove the orange slices and set aside on a piece of parchment paper to dry – you can use them to decorate the cake. Let the syrup cool completely before removing the cinnamon stick and vanilla pod.

Prepare the portokalopita

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Mist a 9x13-inch baking dish with cake release and line with baking paper.
Add the sugar and orange zest to a large mixing bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar to release the beautifully aromatic oil contained within.
1 cup (200g) sugar, 2 tbsp orange zest
Add the eggs and vanilla bean paste and use a balloon whisk or a mixer to whisk everything together until pale and frothy.
4 large eggs, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Whisk in the yogurt, orange juice, lemon juice and the neutral oil. Stir in the baking powder and baking soda until the batter is completely smooth and creamy.
1 cup (240g) Greek yogurt, ½ cup (125ml) fresh orange juice, ¼ cup (60ml) lemon juice, 1 cup (240ml) neutral oil
Stir in the baking powder, soda and salt.
3 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp salt
Gradually fold in the crushed phyllo into the batter in 3-4 stages, making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding more.
Repeat until all the phyllo is fully moistened and there are no clumps of phyllo in the batter. Pour the mixture into your prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until the cake is puffed, set in the center and golden brown on top (check whether you need to tent the cake with foil after 20-30 minutes so that it doesn’t color too deeply).

Add the syrup, chill and serve

Remove the hot cake from the oven. Ladle the completely cooled orange syrup evenly over the surface of the hot cake, allowing it to soak in. Let the cake cool down then transfer it to the fridge for a few hours or overnight to set.
Slice the portokalopita into squares and decorate with the candied oranges if you like. Serve cold or warm for a few seconds in the microwave and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or Greek yogurt – swoonworthy!

Video

Notes

Storing: Cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or transfer slices to an airtight container. It will keep beautifully in the fridge for up to a week.
Freezing: Wrap each square in plastic wrap, place them in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.

Nutrition