Portokalopita (Greek Orange Phyllo Cake) Recipe – Greek Special
Portokalopita is a uniquely delicious cake that’s a must-try, especially for those hesitant about working with phyllo dough. Here, the phyllo is shredded into delightful bits—messy is encouraged! The cake’s moistness is enhanced by a luscious syrup infused with orange and cinnamon, making it truly irresistible.
- Prep Time25 min
- Cook Time1 hr
- Perform Time1 hr
- Total Time2 hr 25 min
Syrup Ingredients:
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 orange, halved
Cake Ingredients:
- 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
- Zest and juice of 3 oranges
- 5 eggs
- 1 (7 ounce) container Greek yogurt
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ½ cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
How to Make Rizogalo (Greek Rice Pudding):
Combine 2 cups of sugar, water, and cinnamon in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Squeeze in the juice from one orange and add the juiced halves. Bring to a boil and boil vigorously for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool while preparing the cake.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with olive oil.
Remove the phyllo sheets from the package and tear each sheet roughly into shreds, placing them in the baking pan. Allow the shredded phyllo to dry out slightly while preparing the remaining ingredients. Slice one orange in half and thinly slice half of it into half-moons for garnishing the cake. Zest and juice the remaining 2 1/2 oranges.
In a blender or food processor, combine orange juice, orange zest, eggs, Greek yogurt, olive oil, 1/2 cup sugar, and baking powder. Blend on high speed until frothy, about 2 minutes. Pour this orange and egg mixture over the shredded phyllo in the baking pan. Gently stir to ensure even distribution of the egg mixture. Arrange the sliced oranges on top of the cake.
Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden and the filling is set, approximately 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately pour the cooled syrup over the hot cake. Allow it to sit for at least 1 hour to absorb most of the syrup. Slice into squares and serve.
Recipe Notes:
Ensure that you get the wet yogurt wet mixture evenly distributed throughout the phyllo sheets; if you don’t, you may end up with some doughy spots throughout the cake. To make this easier to avoid, be sure to dry the shredded phyllo sufficiently before adding the wet mixture.
When pouring the syrup over the cake, ensure you pour cool syrup over the hot cake (not hot syrup over hot cake). You can use a ladle to slowly pour it over, letting it soak in between each addition.
