This traditional Portokalopita recipe is best made one day ahead, because it needs some time to absorb the rich orange-flavored syrup. It is made with phyllo pastry, Greek yogurt and olive oil. Many other recipes use a neutral tasting vegetable oil, but all the years I’ve been making it, I have found that the olive oil complements the orange flavour perfectly.

Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr
Resting time 2 hours hrs
Total Time 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

For the orange syrup:
-2 cups (400 g) caster sugar
-1 ¼ cups (300 g) water
-½ cup (120 g) orange juice (fresh)
-1 orange peel
-1 cinnamon stick
-2 Tablespoons (30 g) orange blossom water (optional, a.k.a. anthonero)

For the orange cake:

-1 pound (450 g) phyllo dough (a.k.a filo pastry)
-1 cup (200 g) caster sugar
-4 teaspoons (20 g) baking powder
-½ teaspoon salt
-2 ½ Tablespoons orange zest
-4 large eggs
-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-½ cup (120 g) orange juice (fresh)
-1 cup (210 g) olive oil (mild)
-1 ¼ cups (300 g) Greek yogurt
-⅓ cup (25 g) desiccated coconut (optional)

Equipment

-1 rectangular baking dish 10.5 inch x 8 inch (27cm x 20cm) or larger

Instructions

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Preheat your oven to 350°F ( 175°C).
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.