This Greek Citrus Pie Is Really a Cake—and It is Shockingly Easy to Make

Portokalopita (Πορτοκαλόπιτα), which interprets to “orange pie” in Greek, is a country, syrup-soaked dessert that holds a particular place in each residence kitchens and pastry retailers throughout Greece. Regardless of the identify, it is technically a cake, made not with flour or conventional batter however with dried and crumbled phyllo dough. The result’s a chewy, pleasantly bouncy, virtually custardy cake that is soaked in a warmly spiced orange syrup, which retains it irresistibly moist for days.

I really like portokalopita for its simplicity and its distinctive use of dried phyllo, in addition to its flavors that spotlight the Greek appreciation for seasonal fruit-based desserts. It is also cute when topped with little candied oranges, giving it a classic and welcoming presentation. I lived in Athens years in the past and nonetheless go to annually. Each time I’m there, I deeply take pleasure in strolling by pastry retailers and seeing these pies in show home windows, completely portioned and adorned with candied citrus. I think about a Greek grandma serving me a slice with a dollop of recent yogurt and occasional.

Portokalopita’s Distinctive Use of Phyllo

The identify of this dessert comes from portokali (orange) and pita (pie), and like many Greek pies—suppose spanakopita or tyropita—it depends on phyllo as its base. As ubiquitous as this pie or cake is, I used to be a bit shocked the primary time I baked it. As an alternative of layering the fragile sheets of dough and baking the pastry till crisp, as is finished in most savory and candy pies, this dessert takes an unconventional strategy: The phyllo is dried within the oven, then damaged into items and folded right into a moist combination that features yogurt, oil, eggs, sugar, and orange juice—a combination that offers the cake a taste that is paying homage to an orange creamsicle.

This method of drying the phyllo earlier than crumbling prevents the dough from clumping and provides the cake a uniquely satisfying bounciness that is related in texture to a light-weight bread pudding. I assumed, “How may so few elements make a cake?” I used to be in awe once I opened the oven to seek out the bizarre batter had magically reworked into a light-weight, deeply golden cake, which was even higher as soon as soaked in a spiced orange syrup.

Why It is Essential to Soak the Cake in Syrup

Portokalopita is a part of a class of Greek desserts often known as siropiasta (σιροπιαστά γλυκά)—pastries which might be soaked in syrup after baking. Very similar to in baklava or galaktoboureko (a custard and phyllo pie soaked in syrup) and karidopita (walnut cake soaked in syrup), the syrup is not only a garnish—it is an integral part that transforms the construction and taste of the dessert. On this model, the syrup is steeped with orange peel and optionally available flavorings, similar to orange blossom water or chai tea, which deepen its complexity and produce out the batter’s citrus notes.

Pouring cool syrup over the recent pie simply after baking lets the cake soak up the syrup correctly. Equally, pricking the floor of the cake after baking and earlier than pouring the syrup permits the syrup to saturate the cake evenly. Don’t scale back the sugar amount within the syrup—a watery syrup with a decrease sugar-to-water ratio will make the pie overly moist and dense. A conventional thick syrup yields one of the best outcomes.

Easy to Make, Elegant to Serve

Regardless of its spectacular taste and texture, portokalopita is surprisingly low-stress and enjoyable to make, and a high contender for a make-ahead dessert. As soon as assembled, it bakes up fantastically and—like many siropiasta—solely improves after resting. It is usually even higher the following day when the syrup has absolutely saturated the crumb, and all of the flavors have had time to meld.

Just a few optionally available ornamental touches—candied orange slices on high, a dollop of bitter cream or yogurt, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the facet—can elevate it right into a dessert that is ceremonial dinner–prepared with out requiring any last-minute fuss. Whether or not you’ve got seen it glistening within the home windows of an Athenian bakery or are discovering it for the primary time, portokalopita is a dessert that surprises at each flip—with its technique, texture, and vibrant taste.

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