Portokalopita - Greek Orange Cake - Souvlaki For The Soul

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

labelled ingredients on a grey table to make portokalopita.

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

a collage showing how to make portokalopita - greek orange pie.

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

Can you freeze portokalopita?

My recommendation is no. It will end up soggy when defrosted and not taste very nice. What I do recommend is to keep it in the fridge for a few days. The orange flavours will have intensified, and it will be magic.

How do you pronounce portokalopita?

It's pronounced Por-to-kah-lo-peeta. Portokali means orange in Greek and pita means pie.

How do you store portokalopita?

Store it in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. Preferably serve cool.