By love-89.com If you’re looking for a cake that will have you coming back for more, look no further than this orangey Greek delight known as Portokalopita. I recently caught up with pastry chef Ravneet Gill who first discovered this gem on a holiday in Cyprus. Intrigued by its unique texture, she sought advice from the hotel’s pastry chef, leading to her own take on the recipe.
Ravneet shared that this cake is so rewarding and delicious, you can’t help but crave it again and again. While Georgina Hayden, another culinary expert, prefers to use whole oranges in her version, Ravneet opted for a simplified approach that requires just one bowl—perfect for those of us short on time but big on flavor.
The recipe, which takes about 15 minutes to prep and an hour and 20 minutes to cook, plus a night in the fridge, makes one 20cm cake. You’ll need:
– 540g of filo pastry (two packs of 270g each)
– 3 eggs
– 125g of caster sugar
– 200ml of double cream
– The zest of 3 oranges
– The juice of 2 oranges
– 1½ tsp of bicarbonate of soda
– 1 tsp of baking powder
– 125g of unsalted butter, melted
For the syrup:
– The juice of 4 oranges
– The juice of 1 lemon
– 150g of caster sugar
To start, you’ll want to dry the filo pastry. You can either air-dry it on a counter for several hours or bake it in the oven at 150C (or 300F) for about 5 to 10 minutes until it’s crisp. Just be careful when breaking it into pieces as the hardened pastry can be sharp.
Next, preheat your oven to 195C (or 380F). Grease a 20cm springform cake tin and place it on a baking tray with edges to catch any spills. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, caster sugar, double cream, orange zest, and juice. Then, mix in the bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, and melted butter. Finally, fold in the broken filo pieces until everything is well combined.
Pour the mixture into the lined tin and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until the top is golden and firm to the touch. Once baked, let the cake cool slightly in the tin.
While that cools, you can prepare the syrup by combining the orange and lemon juices with caster sugar in a saucepan. Bring it to a simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes, then remove from heat.
When your cake has cooled a bit, poke holes all over the surface and pour the warm syrup on top. Allow it to cool to room temperature before refrigerating it overnight.
The next day, simply unclip the tin, slice your cake, and enjoy! This refreshing dessert might just become a staple in your household.