Go Back
–+ servings
A piece of portokalopita topped with a slice of orange on a white plate with a small fork.

Greek Orange Cake - Portokalopita

Sylia
Portokalopita, a Greek orange cake, features a distinctive blend of dried phyllo dough and vibrant oranges. Enjoy it as a delightful dessert, and for an extra treat, pair it with a scoop of ice cream or Greek yogurt.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean
Servings 5
Calories 515 kcal

Ingredients
  

FOR THE SYRUP

  • 2 cups (500ml) granulated sugar
  • 2 cups (500ml) water
  • ⅓ cup (100ml) orange juice, fresh
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • Orange peels from 3 oranges

FOR THE CAKE BATTER

  • 1 pound (500g) pastry phyllo dough (sheets), thawed (if frozen)*
  • 1 cup (200g) Greek yogurt, strained, plain or low fat
  • 1 cup (220g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (250ml) sunflower oil
  • 1 cup (250ml) orange juice, fresh
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Orange zest from 1-3 oranges
  • A pinch of salt

Instructions
 

PREPARE THE SYRUP

  • In a pot add all the ingredients and just bring to a boil. Set aside and let it cool down without stirring.

PREPARE THE PHYLLO SHEETS

  • Remove the phyllo sheets from the package and place them on a clean surface. Unfold the phyllo sheets and cut them in half using a sharp knife. Stack the halves together.
  • You have 2 options: a) Shred the phyllo into small pieces and place them into a baking sheet/dish. Set aside to dry and twirl them a couple of times to ensure even drying, including the shreds at the bottom.
  • b) Cut the phyllo sheets into strips: Take 4-5 sheets and roll them tightly. Cut the roll into strips, aiming for approximately ½ inch (1 cm) width. Precision is not crucial. Unravel the cut strips and twist them into a big nest. Repeat this process with the remaining phyllo.
  • Let the strips on the surface to dry. Twirl them a couple of times to ensure even drying, including the strips at the bottom.

PREPARE THE CAKE BATTER

  • Preheat your oven to 340 °F (170 °C) and grease a 9x13 inch (25x32) baking pan/dish.
  • In a bowl add the yogurt, the orange juice, and whisk well. Stir in the sunflower oil, the sugar, the vanilla extract, the orange zest, the baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Whisk well to incorporate.
  • Fold in the phyllo shreds/strips to the wet ingredients a little bit at a time. No need to over mix.

BAKE

  • Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan/dish and place it in the upper rack of the preheated oven. Bake until golden about 40-45 minutes or until toothpick tester comes out clean.

ADD THE SYRUP

  • Once out of the oven ladle gently cold syrup over hot cake (one ladle at a time). Each spoonful of syrup must be absorbed before adding the next one (just a few seconds). Let it rest at least 30 minutes before slicing but it would be better if you freeze it for an hour or even better overnight before slicing.

SERVE

  • Top it with ice cream or Greek yogurt.

Notes

Also called filo and fillo dough and they are very thin sheets of unleavened pastry phyllo dough. Find them in the refrigerated section of many Mediterranean/Middle East markets along with some well stocked grocery stores.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 515kcalCarbohydrates: 69.8gProtein: 3.2gFat: 20.9gSaturated Fat: 2.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gMonounsaturated Fat: 6.3gCholesterol: 1.2mgSodium: 135.6mgPotassium: 94.2mgFiber: 0.6gSugar: 54gVitamin A: 40IUVitamin C: 11.7mgCalcium: 72.1mgIron: 0.5mg
Tried this recipe?Please consider Leaving a Review!