Portokalopita - Greek Orange Syrup Cake with Phyllo 🍊🍰

A slice of A slice of Portokalopita with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

5 from 4 votes

Portokalopita - Greek Orange Syrup Cake with Phyllo 🍊🍰

Making Portokalopita, one of the best Greek desserts, is easier than you think! This traditional recipe for Greek orange cake with phyllo and yoghurt is super moist, thanks to a fragrant syrup, and bursts with orange flavor.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Resting time2

Total Time3 30

Course: Dessert, Sweet

Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 397kcal

Author: Makos

Equipment

1 rectangular baking dish 10.5 inch x 8 inch (27cm x 20cm) or larger, see note #4

Ingredients

For the orange syrup:

2 cups caster sugar
1 ¼ cups water
½ cup orange juice fresh
1 orange peel
1 cinnamon stick
2 Tablespoons orange blossom water optional, a.k.a. anthonero - see note #1

For the orange cake:

1 pound phyllo dough a.k.a filo pastry
1 cup caster sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 ½ Tablespoons orange zest
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup orange juice fresh
1 cup olive oil see note #2
1 ¼ cups Greek yogurt
⅓ cup desiccated coconut optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Shred the phyllo and let it dry.
You can do this by hand, but the easiest way is to roll the phyllo sheets and cut them into thin strips with a sharp knife. Transfer the strips to a large pan (or baking dish) and fluff them up very well making sure the pieces are not stuck to each other (this will ensure a fluffy cake).
You can let them dry at room temperature for half an hour but I recommend drying them in the oven while you preheat it.
Make the orange syrup: Transfer all the ingredients for the syrup (except the orange blossom water) to a small pot and bring to a boil. Let the syrup boil for 1 minute and remove from the heat.
Discard the orange peel and the cinnamon stick, add the orange blossom water and stir with a spoon.
Preheat your oven to 350°F ( 175°C).
Make the cake: Transfer the sugar, the baking powder, the salt and the orange zest to a large bowl. Add the eggs and whisk until frothy.
Add the vanilla, the orange juice, the olive oil and the Greek yoghurt to the whipped eggs and whisk until combined. If you use the desiccated coconut add that too.
Crumble the dried phyllo with your hands into tiny phyllo shreds and add it to the batter in small batches, mixing well with a spatula after each addition.
Be careful, if you add all the phyllo at once, a big clump will form and the cake will not have the proper texture. Also, make sure that the phyllo pieces are very loose and not stuck to each other as this will result in a dense cake.
Pour the cake batter into the greased baking pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
While the cake is still hot, poke holes with a skewer (or a knife) and gradually drizzle the surface with the orange-flavored syrup.
The cake will need some time to absorb all of the syrup, so add it in small portions every 10-15 minutes, until all of the syrup is used.
Let the cake rest in the refrigerator overnight. Serve cold or let it come to room temperature.

Video

Notes

Note #1: Greek orange blossom water (a.k.a. Anthonero) is made from the flowers of bitter oranges. If you use a concentrated type of orange blossom water you may need less. My best advice, if you use it, is to add it gradually to the syrup until you're happy with how it smells. If you don't have orange blossom water double the orange peel for the syrup.

Note #2: Olive Oil. I use a very mild extra virgin olive oil or a 50-50 mix of sunflower oil and olive oil.

Note #3: You can dry the phyllo pastry in the oven, while it is preheating. 10-15 minutes should be enough, toss 1-2 times during drying.

Note #4: You can also use a 12-inch (30cm) round cake pan but the baking time will be shorter. Baking time will depend on the size (and material) of the baking dish. Always check with a toothpick to see if the cake is fully baked.

Note #5: This portokalopita has the perfect ratio of syrup to cake (for my taste). If you prefer it extra moist (with syrup oozing from each slice), make 1.5x the syrup.

Don't miss another favorite Greek dessert, this Revani (semolina cake with syrup)

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