Jul 18, 2010

Orange Cake (Portokalopita)

Chopped phyllo dough gives this orange-scented custard cake from Crete its layered texture.

Credit: Penny De Los Santos

3 1⁄8"-thick orange slices

1 2⁄3 cups fresh orange juice

1 1⁄2 cups sugar

1 2" stick cinnamon

14 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil,

plus more for greasing

Flour, for pan

4 eggs

3⁄4 cup Greek yogurt

1⁄4 cup orange zest

1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract

1⁄4 cup fine semolina

1 1⁄2 tsp. baking powder

12 oz. country-style phyllo sheets,

cut in 1⁄2" pieces

1. Heat oven to 325°. Put orange slices in bottom of an 8" x 8" baking dish; pour 1 cup orange juice over top. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake until oranges are very soft, 40–45 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

2. Meanwhile, bring 3⁄4 cup sugar, cinnamon, and 1 1⁄2 cups water to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan. Cook for 5 minutes; remove from heat. Pour syrup over orange slices. Let cool completely.

3. Grease a 9" x 13" baking dish and dust with flour; set aside. Combine remaining sugar and eggs in a bowl; beat with a hand mixer until pale and thick. Whisk in remaining orange juice, oil, yogurt, zest, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together semolina and baking powder, whisk into egg mixture, then stir in phyllo. Pour mixture into prepared dish; bake until lightly browned, 35–40 minutes. Pour syrup evenly over cake; let cool. Cut cake into 12 squares and cut orange slices into quarters; top each square with an orange quarter.

SERVES 12

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #131

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Ratings & Reviews (6)

by MAMMAODIE on 2010-08-05

Recipe sounds interesting. What is "country-style" phyllo as opposed to phyllo you purchase in the supermarket?

by michaelmcc36 on 2010-08-06

To Mammaodie:
It is a thicker style of phyllo. The issue gives a definition of the types of phyllo. I would check a Whole Foods or specialty store for it.

by SEVENTYSONGS on 2010-09-21

This is a recipe that tastes like there is no way you made it in your own oven. This is not your typical floury, crumbly cake; it is more like layered, dense, moist pastry dough meets eggy orangy custard. After a misshap with the orange slices and syrup (I didn't divine that the orange slices were to be separated from the juice first), I improvised something even better: I created, essentially, a syrup using the reserved orange juice from the 8x8 dish, some water, and sugar. It added even more orange "scent" and flavor. I couldn't find country phillo, which I am sure adds even more to the unique texture, but I wouldn't hesitate to use the regular phillo again. Highly recommend!

by LMLAVIGNE on 2011-04-25

Delicious! Like seventysongs, I also used regular phyllo - it gives a terrific texture so I imagine it improves with the country version. Since the directions were unclear, I also made the sugar syrup and added it to the orange juice dish then poured it on. I would do it that way again. This was very good on day 2 so I recommend making ahead.

by CHARLIESMOM on 2012-04-08

i just made this, tastes more l ike abuttery orange bread pudding than a cake. I wonder if separating each phyllo sheet would make it different...i put mine in as multi-layered 2 inch chunks. I also inculded the 1st orange juice in the syrup, which makes it less sweet. then i went and sprinkled powder sugar on top. now it looks like a bread pudding too.