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Why It Works
- Drying the phyllo earlier than mixing it into the moist batter prevents clumping and promotes a pleasantly chewy and bouncy texture within the completed cake.
- Infusing the syrup with heat spices and orange blossom water provides depth and complexity, balancing the cake’s sweetness with spiced and floral notes.
- Serving the cake with yogurt, ice cream, or bitter cream offsets the sweetness of the syrup and rounds out the dessert.
Portokalopita (Πορτοκαλόπιτα), which interprets to “orange pie” in Greek, is a country, syrup-soaked dessert that holds a particular place in each house kitchens and pastry outlets 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, nearly custardy cake that is soaked in a warmly spiced orange syrup, which retains it irresistibly moist for days.
I 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 lovely when topped with little candied oranges, giving it a classic and alluring presentation. I lived in Athens years in the past and nonetheless go to every year. Every time I’m there, I deeply take pleasure in strolling by pastry outlets 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 contemporary yogurt and occasional.
Critical Eats /Qi Ai
Portokalopita’s Distinctive Use of Phyllo
The identify of this dessert comes from portokali (orange) and pita (pie), and like many Greek pies—assume 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 completed 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 mix that offers the cake a taste that is paying homage to an orange creamsicle.
This system 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 lightweight bread pudding. I believed, “How may so few elements make a cake?” I used to be in awe after I opened the oven to search out the weird batter had magically remodeled into a lightweight, deeply golden cake, which was even higher as soon as soaked in a spiced orange syrup.
Critical Eats /Qi Ai
Why It is Essential to Soak the Cake in Syrup
Portokalopita is a part of a class of Greek desserts referred to as siropiasta (σιροπιαστά γλυκά)—pastries which can be soaked in syrup after baking. Very like 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 a vital part that transforms the construction and taste of the dessert. On this model, the syrup is steeped with orange peel and elective flavorings, similar to orange blossom water or chai tea, which deepen its complexity and convey out the batter’s citrus notes.
Pouring cool syrup over the recent pie simply after baking lets the cake take in 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 cut 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 standard thick syrup yields the perfect outcomes.
Critical Eats /Qi Ai
Easy to Make, Elegant to Serve
Regardless of its spectacular taste and texture, portokalopita is surprisingly low-stress and enjoyable to make, and a prime contender for a make-ahead dessert. As soon as assembled, it bakes up fantastically and—like many siropiasta—solely improves after resting. It is typically even higher the subsequent day when the syrup has totally saturated the crumb, and all of the flavors have had time to meld.
Just a few elective ornamental touches—candied orange slices on prime, a dollop of bitter cream or yogurt, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the aspect—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 methodology, texture, and vibrant taste.
This Greek Citrus Pie Is Really a Cake—and It is Shockingly Easy to Make
Prepare dinner Mode
(Maintain display awake)
For the Syrup:
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2 cups granulated sugar (14.2 ounces; 400 g)
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2 cups (480 ml) water or chai (see notes)
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2/3 cups (175 ml) contemporary orange or tangerine juice, plus zest (from 2 complete oranges or 3 complete tangerines)
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2 teaspoons (10 ml) orange blossom water, elective
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1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, elective
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1/2 orange or 1 complete tangerine, minimize into 12 items (roughly chopped into 1/4-inch to 1/3-inch items or sliced thinly into half moons), elective
For the Pie:
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450 g (1 pound) store-bought frozen phyllo sheets, defrosted (see notes)
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1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces; 200 g)
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Zest of 2 oranges
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4 massive complete eggs
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1 cup (240 ml) plus 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil, divided
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1 cup (240 ml) plain whole-milk yogurt (ideally strained Greek-style yogurt)
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2/3 cups (175 ml) contemporary orange juice from 2 oranges (see notes)
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1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla extract
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1 tablespoon (15 g) baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon (2.5 g) baking soda
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1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for desk salt, use half as a lot by quantity
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Plain whole-milk strained Greek-style yogurt, bitter cream, or vanilla ice cream for serving, elective
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For the Syrup: In a medium saucepan, mix sugar, water or tea, orange juice, orange blossom water (if utilizing), pumpkin pie spice (if utilizing), and orange or tangerine items (if utilizing). Deliver to a boil over excessive warmth, then cut back warmth to medium and simmer for quarter-hour. Take away from warmth. Put aside and let cool fully.
Critical Eats /Qi Ai
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For the Pie: In the meantime, modify oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and warmth oven to 200°F (95°C). Place two rimmed baking sheets on work floor. Working with 1 phyllo sheet at a time, loosely scrunch phyllo sheet lengthwise like an accordion, and place on rimmed baking sheet, arranging width-wise. Repeat with all phyllo dough sheets evenly distributed amongst baking sheets organized width-wise.
Critical Eats /Qi Ai
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Bake each sheets at identical time for quarter-hour. Fastidiously take away baking sheets from oven and flip phyllo sheets utilizing arms. (The phyllo that had direct contact with the baking sheets can be barely damp, flipping the phyllo dries that aspect.) Return to oven and proceed baking till phyllo is totally dry, about 5 extra minutes. Put aside and let phyllo cool on baking sheets.
Critical Eats /Qi Ai
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Utilizing oven mitts, fastidiously re-adjust 1 oven rack to center place and warmth oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon oil.
Critical Eats /Qi Ai
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As soon as phyllo is cool, in a small bowl, mix sugar and orange zest and use your fingers to rub collectively till combination is aromatic, about 30 seconds. Put aside.
Critical Eats /Qi Ai
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In a big bowl, add eggs and remaining 1 cup oil and whisk to mix. Add yogurt, orange juice, and vanilla and whisk to mix. Whisk in sugar with orange zest combination, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and whisk till totally mixed.
Critical Eats /Qi Ai
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To egg combination in massive bowl, add dried phyllo in batches of two to three items at a time by breaking each bit into 2 to three smaller items, then add to massive bowl and use a spatula to smash and crunch phyllo as you fold it into the moist elements. Proceed folding and smashing till items vary from 2 inches to bite-size and all phyllo is integrated into egg combination; don’t overmix.
Critical Eats /Qi Ai
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Switch batter to greased baking pan, and use a spatula to easy it into a good layer. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. As soon as batter has rested, bake till cake is deep golden brown on prime and cake tester or paring knife inserted in heart comes out clear, 40 to 50 minutes.
Critical Eats /Qi Ai
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Let pie relaxation for two minutes, then shortly prick the floor with a paring knife or toothpick in roughly 2-inch increments. Utilizing a ladle or massive spoon, gently pour half of cooled syrup evenly over pie and use a pastry brush to brush evenly over prime. You might hear the syrup calmly hissing because it touches the recent pie. Let syrup take in into cake for 1 minute, then pour remaining syrup over pie. Alternatively, you’ll be able to reserve a small quantity (about 1/2 cup) of syrup for garnish. If you happen to candied items of orange whereas making the syrup, use them to brighten pie.
Critical Eats /Qi Ai
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Let pie cool for no less than 1 hour and as much as 24 hours earlier than serving. Serve with yogurt, vanilla ice cream, or bitter cream, if desired.
Critical Eats /Qi Ai
Particular Gear
1 small saucepan, two rimmed baking sheets, rasp grater similar to a Microplane or zester, 9-by-13-inch baking pan or dish, ladle or massive spoon, pastry brush
Notes
The syrup could be made with water or chai (common or decaffeinated). I choose the nice and cozy spice taste of chai.
Boxed phyllo dough offered within the US typically comprises stabilizers and starches. Search for a model with fewer elements, as this leads to a extra flavorful dough.
Be certain to make use of contemporary orange juice on this recipe.
Make-Forward and Storage
This pie is great, if not higher, 12 to 24 hours after it’s made. Retailer at room temperature, coated with plastic wrap or foil, for as much as 3 days.
