Portokalopita Greek Orange Phyllo Cake (Printable Version)

Crispy phyllo layers meet tangy orange syrup in this classic Greek dessert

# What You Need:

→ For the Pie

01 - 1 lb phyllo sheets, thawed
02 - 4 large eggs
03 - 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
04 - 1 cup granulated sugar
05 - ½ cup light olive oil or sunflower oil
06 - 2 tsp vanilla extract
07 - Zest of 2 large oranges
08 - 2 tsp baking powder

→ For the Syrup

09 - 1 cup water
10 - 1 cup granulated sugar
11 - ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
12 - 1 cinnamon stick
13 - Zest of 1 orange

# How-To:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray or a small amount of oil.
02 - Remove phyllo sheets from packaging and let them dry out at room temperature for 1 hour. Once dried, crumple the sheets into rough, loose pieces by hand.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and granulated sugar until pale and thickened, about 3-4 minutes. Add Greek yogurt, oil, vanilla extract, orange zest, and baking powder. Mix until fully combined and smooth.
04 - Gradually fold the crumpled phyllo pieces into the batter, ensuring all pieces are evenly coated. The mixture should be moist but the phyllo should maintain some texture.
05 - Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown on top and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
06 - While the pie bakes, combine water, granulated sugar, fresh orange juice, cinnamon stick, and orange zest in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat, discard cinnamon stick and zest, and let syrup cool completely.
07 - Remove the baked pie from the oven. While still hot, slowly pour the cooled syrup evenly over the entire surface. Allow the pie to soak for at least 2 hours before serving to absorb all the syrup.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The magic happens when hot syrup hits that crispy, crumpled phyllo, creating this incredible texture contrast that's somewhere between cake and custard.
  • Its one of those rare desserts that actually tastes better the next day, making it perfect for make ahead moments.
02 -
  • The syrup must be completely cool before pouring over the hot pie, or it will make the phyllo soggy instead of creating that perfect custardy crunch.
  • Letting the phyllo dry out seems counterintuitive but it's the difference between a dense cake and those gorgeous crispy, syrup soaked layers that make portokalopita so special.
03 -
  • Add a splash of orange liqueur like Grand Marnier to your syrup for a grown up dinner party version that feels extra special.
  • If your phyllo sheets are different sizes than your dish, just overlap them slightly when crumpling, no one will notice once it's baked and soaked.

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