Portokalopita - Greek Orange Cake

Made with only 7 ingredients - Portokalopita is a delicious Greek orange cake made with the unique combination of dried phyllo sheets and zesty oranges. Soaked in a sweet sugar syrup - this Greek dessert is a real treat.

What is portokalopita?

• Portkalopita (🇬🇷 Greek: Πορτκαλόπιτά) is a traditional Greek orange cake or pie that contains no flour.  Instead, it uses dried phyllo sheets.  
• In Greece, portokalopita belongs to a group of traditional Greek recipes known as "siropiasta" - this refers to desserts soaked in a sugar syrup (similar to my galaktoboureko and karydopita).

Why this recipe works

• It uses phyllo. Like many Greek desserts, this Greek orange syrup cake uses phyllo dough or pastry. However, the beauty of using phyllo in this recipe is - you don't have to worry about layering and keeping it moist. Quite the opposite! The phyllo is left to dry (either in a low oven or naturally) and crumbled into the batter - this is what gives portokalopita its unique texture and flavour.
• It's aromatic. This moist orange cake recipe gets a double orange flavour hit by using oranges in the sugar syrup and the filling. It is a fragrant cake - especially if you adore citrus! (check out my orange upside down cake for a visually stunning treat).
• It's moist. The magical combination of Greek yogurt and olive oil keep this pie moist.
• It pairs beautifully with ice cream. Portokalopita and ice cream are a perfect match. Serve them together for a heavenly combination.

What goes into this recipe

• Sugar. - Used in the Greek sugar syrup and to sweeten the pie - I prefer to use caster sugar (superfine sugar) in my dessert recipes.
• Oranges. - Use navel oranges - I use the orange zest and the orange juice to flavour the portokalopita.
• Filo (Phyllo) Pastry. - It wouldn't be a Greek dessert without using phyllo. I used one pack of phyllo dough - weighing 375 grams.
• Eggs. - Use medium-sized eggs (60g)
• Greek Yogurt. - Use "real" Greek yogurt - preferably strained and full fat.
• Olive Oil. - For the best flavour, use extra virgin Greek olive oil. Otherwise, regular olive oil will work too.
• Baking Powder. - This will help to give our portokalopita a lift - it acts as a leavening agent.
• Vanilla (not pictured). - You can use extract or a paste - it adds a lovely added aroma to baked goods.

How to make this recipe

• Step 1: Combine the water, sugar, orange juice and zest to make the syrup. Once cooked allow to cool completely.
• Step 2: Tear up the dried phyllo into smaller pieces.
• Step 3: Combine the remainder of the portokalopita ingredients in a separate mixing bowl to make the batter.
• Step 4: Pour the batter into the bowl with the torn, dried phyllo pieces.

• Step 5: Combine well.
• Step 6: Pour into baking dish and smooth out the top.
• Step 7: When the portokalopita is cooked, score it lightly and using a ladle, pour the cold syrup over it.
• Step 8: Once cooled and the syrup has been absorbed serve with ice cream.

Expert Tips

• Let your syrup cool. When making portokalopita, along with many Greek syrup-based desserts, my most important tip is to use a cold syrup on a hot cake. If you combine two hot elements, you will end up with mush!
• Dry your phyllo sheets. You can do this two ways:
  • The natural way. Remove the filo sheets from the packet and shred them into smaller pieces as best you can. Place them on a baking tray and leave them dry naturally. It can take anywhere between 30 mins. - 1 hour (depending on your climate).
  • The cheats way. Heat your oven to 100C/200F, shred them in smaller pieces and cook them in 2-3 batches for about 45 mins. - 1 hour. Make sure you check on them every 15 mins. and mix the pieces around (this will allow the filo to cook evenly). Let them cool and crush them lightly - this will help keep some texture on the cake.
• Serve cold or at room temperature. Portokalopita is not a pie you serve warm. Instead, place it in the refrigerator to allow the orange sugar syrup to be absorbed. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or even Greek yogurt.

FAQ's

🎥 Video - how to make it

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📋 Recipe

Portokalopita - Greek Orange Cake

Author: Peter G

Portokalopita is a Greek orange pie made with the unique combination of dried phyllo sheets and zesty oranges. Serve it with a scoop of ice cream for a fantastic dessert.

4.74 from 19 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 35 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Cuisine Greek

Servings 8 serves

Ingredients

  

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For the syrup:

• ▢ 500 ml water
• ▢ 300 grams sugar, caster or superfine
• ▢ 1 orange juice
• ▢ 1 orange zest

For the pie:

• ▢ 375 grams phyllo pastry, dried out - torn or shredded
• ▢ 4 eggs
• ▢ 80 ml olive oil
• ▢ 70 grams sugar, caster or superfine
• ▢ 250 ml Greek yoghurt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1 orange juice
• ▢ 1 orange zest

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Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 180 deg C (350 F) and grease 20 cm x 30 cm (8" x 12") baking dish and set aside.
• Prepare the syrup by combining the water, sugar, orange juice and zest in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Allow the syrup to boil vigorously for 5 mins until it reduces slightly. Once cooked set aside and allow to cool completely. (see note 1)
• In a separate bowl, tear and shred the phyllo into small pieces till it resembles torn pieces of paper. (see note 2)
• In another bowl, combine the eggs, olive oil, sugar, yoghurt, vanilla, orange juice and zest and whisk until smooth. Pour this batter over the torn, dried phyllo pieces and mix well - ensuring the phyllo is mixed well into the batter. Pour into the greased baking dish and bake for 35 mins. (check at 30 mins by inserting a skewer).
• Remove the pie from the oven and using a sharp knife, score the pie into desired serving sizes and pour over the cold syrup. Allow cooling completely before serving. (see note 3)

Notes

1. Let your syrup cool. When making portokalopita, along with many Greek syrup-based desserts, my most important tip is to use a cold syrup on a hot cake. If you combine two hot elements, you will end up with mush!
2. Dry your phyllo sheets. You can do this two ways.
   1. The natural way - remove the phyllo sheets from the packet and shred them into smaller pieces as best you can. Place them on a baking tray and leave them dry naturally. It can take anywhere between 30 mins. - 1 hour (depending on your climate).
   2. The cheats way - heat your oven to 100C/200F, shred them in smaller pieces and cook them in 2-3 batches for about 45 mins. - 1 hour. Make sure you check on them every 15 mins. and mix the pieces around (this will allow the filo to cook evenly). Let them cool and crush them lightly - this will help keep some texture on the cake.
3. Serve cold. Portokalopita is not a pie you serve warm. Instead, place it in the refrigerator to allow the orange sugar syrup to be absorbed. Serve with a scoop of ice cream or even Greek yogurt.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serve | Calories: 465 kcal | Carbohydrates: 73 g | Protein: 9 g | Fat: 16 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Souvlaki For the Soul

Made this recipe?Let me know how you went and tag @souvlakiman on Instagram!

This post was originally published in June 2020, but was republished with additional step by step instructions, and tips in October 2021.