Recipe for Greek Style Orange Cake

Written by Greek Boston in Authentic Greek Food Recipes, Greek Desserts Recipes Comments Off on Recipe for Greek Style Orange Cake

Oranges grow in abundance in Greece and this cake is just one of the ways that Greeks use this sweet fruit. The fresher the oranges are, the better this cake tastes!

Greek Style Orange Cake (Portokalopita) Recipe Ingredients:

• 3 orange slices, about 1/4 – 1/8 inch thick
• 1 2/3 cup orange juice
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 3/4 cup Greek olive oil
• 4 large eggs
• 3/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup fresh orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup fine semolina
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 12 ounces phyllo, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

How to Make Greek Orange Cake:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place orange slices at the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish and pour the orange juice over the top. Cover the pan with foil and place the pan in the center of the oven. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until the oranges are soft. Remove the pan from the oven and place directly on a cooling rack. Leave the oven on.

While the pan is in the oven, prepare the syrup. Add the 3/4 cup of the sugar, cinnamon, and water to a saucepan and stir. Set the heat on medium and cook the syrup for about five minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray. Add the rest of the sugar and the eggs to a boil and beat over medium with an electric mixer until the mixture is a pale yellow color. Set the mixer to low and beat in the yogurt, orange zest, vanilla extract, semolina, and baking powder one at a time. Remove the mixer and stir in the filo dough pieces using a wooden spoon.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and place in the center of the oven. Cook for 35-40 minutes, or until the cake is brown. Remove from oven and pour the oranges and orange juice mixture as well as the prepared syrup over the cake. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 24 hours before serving.

**Please Note:  Recommended cook times for GreekBoston.com Greek recipes vary depending on elevation, environmental conditions, the cookware being used, and the nature of the oven or stove. Although we have given approximations, these don’t always take into account your unique environment.

Categorized in: Authentic Greek Food Recipes, Greek Desserts Recipes

This post was written by Greek Boston