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1
Make the Syrup
10 Mins
Simmer, about 100°C (212°F)
Put the 300 g sugar, 300 ml water, 120 ml orange juice, cinnamon stick and half the 15 g zest in a small pot. Bring to a boil, simmer 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup is slightly thick, then remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.
Cool syrup, hot cake — that is the rule for every Greek syrup cake.
Done when: The syrup coats a spoon lightly and smells of cinnamon and orange.
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2
Whisk the Batter
10 Mins
Room temperature, about 22°C (72°F)
Whisk the 4 eggs with the 150 g sugar until pale, then whisk in the 250 g yogurt, 160 ml olive oil, the remaining 120 ml orange juice, the rest of the zest, the 5 ml vanilla and the 8 g baking powder. The batter will be thin and pourable — that is correct.
Whisk the eggs and sugar well; that air is the only lift this flourless cake gets.
Done when: The batter is smooth, pale yellow, and flecked with zest.
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3
Fold in the Phyllo
5 Mins
Room temperature, about 22°C (72°F)
Tear the dried phyllo into rough 5 cm pieces and fold them into the batter a handful at a time, until every shred is coated. Pour into a greased 23 x 33 cm baking dish, spread evenly, and lay the 100 g orange slices on top.
Fold, do not stir hard — crushed phyllo makes a dense cake.
Done when: The dish is evenly filled, with orange rounds sitting on the surface.
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4
Bake Until Golden
45 Mins
180°C (350°F)
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 40–45 minutes, until the top is deep golden and the edges are crisp and caramelised. A skewer pushed into the centre should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter.
If the top browns too fast, cover it loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
Done when: The cake is puffed, golden, and springs back lightly when pressed.
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5
Soak & Rest
15 Mins + 2 Hours Resting
Cake hot, syrup cold
As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, pour the cold syrup over it one ladle at a time, letting each ladle soak in before adding the next. Leave the cake to rest at least 2 hours, or overnight, so the syrup reaches the centre. Cut into 8 squares to serve.
Pour slowly: flooding it all at once leaves the top swimming and the middle dry.
Done when: The cake glistens, the syrup has disappeared into it, and the squares hold their shape when cut.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve at room temperature, plain or with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream. The cake keeps improving overnight as the syrup settles — make it a day ahead if you can.
Greece
2h
