Portokalopita (Greek Orange Phyllo Cake)

Name: Portokalopita
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 110 min
Ingredients: 7 ounces Greek yogurt; 5 eggs; 1 cup orange juice (squeeze from 4-5 oranges); 1 cup light cooking oil; 1/2 cup granulated sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 4 teaspoons baking powder; 15 ounces phyllo sheets; 1 tablespoon orange zest; 2 oranges (sliced; for decoration (optional)); 1 1/2 cups water; 2 cups granulated sugar; peel of 1 orange; 1 tablespoon orange zest; 1 teaspoon cinnamon (or 1 cinnamon stick)

Jump to Recipe

A Sweet, Orangey Portokalopita Recipe to Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth!

For a classic Greek dessert that is relatively easy to make, Portokalopita is the way to go.

Also known as Πορτοκαλόπιτα (literally “orange” and “pie”), this Greek orange cake is layers of broken filo (phyllo) dough baked in orange flavors and covered in a simple syrup made from scratch!

piece of greek orange syrup cake with orange slice and whipped cream on top sitting on plate. — One slice of Greek Portokalopita, please!

Interestingly, Portokalopita is one of many Greek desserts (pastries) that are smothered in syrup.

This grouping of syrup-smothered sweets is known as siropiasta (from σιρόπι for syrup) – with Baklava being another popular example!

Ingredients

Here are the portokalopita ingredients that you will need for this recipe. It seems like a lot but it’s actually really easy!

Ingredients for the Cake

Greek Yogurt – Make sure to use unflavored Greek yogurt.
Eggs – To make the cake. Medium or large eggs are both fine, but don’t use any eggs that are larger than that.
Orange juice – Ideally from 4-5 oranges that you squeeze, but you can use store-bought orange juice if you prefer. Just make sure to use pure orange juice not from concentrate.
Light cooking oil – Both vegetable oil or sunflower oil would work well.
Sugar – Granulated sugar.
Vanilla extract – Use good quality vanilla extract for the best flavor. We would stay away from artificial vanilla extract.
Baking powder – Make sure the baking powder is still good and hasn’t expired yet.
Phyllo sheets – You’ll need 15 ounces. If you have the option, use thin phyllo sheets (as opposed to country-style phyllo).
Orange zest – Ideally from organic oranges.

Ingredients for the Syrup

Water – The base for the syrup.
Sugar – Granulated sugar.
Orange peel – Ideally from one organic orange.
Orange zest – Ideally also from organic oranges.
Cinnamon or cinnamon stick – You’ll need one teaspoon of cinnamon, but can also use a cinnamon stick, if preferred.

Ingredients for the Decoration

Oranges cut into slices – This is optional but does look quite nice.

Recipe Tips and Substitutions

Before you make this Greek orange cake, here are some recipe tips to consider before baking so that you know just what to expect!

Make sure to use Greek yogurt that isn’t flavored.
We would recommend using orange juice from oranges that you squeezed yourself for the flavor, but you can use store-bought orange juice if you prefer. Just make sure to use pure orange juice not from concentrate.
If possible use thin phyllo dough. In Greece there is a type of phyllo specifically for this type of sweet dessert that will be covered in syrup. However, if you can only find one type of phyllo at the grocery store, just use that.
Make sure that the phyllo dough is thawed before using it if you bought frozen phyllo dough.
If you can’t tear the phyllo sheets into pieces right away, leave it out to dry first and rip it into pieces later.
Make sure the phyllo sheets are dry before mixing it with the other ingredients. Otherwise, they might not absorb as much moisture when baking and the cake might turn out too saturated.

How to Make Portokalopita – Step by Step Instructions

This section will walk you through exactly how to make this Greek orange phyllo cake. The recipe process photos will allow you to check your progress each step of the way!

The recipe card with the exact measurements and baking time is at the bottom of this post.

baking pan full of shredded phyllo pastry sheets sitting on grey counter. — Add the torn up phyllo sheets to a baking pan.

Start by removing the phyllo sheets from their packaging. Make sure to use phyllo dough that is fully thawed (if you bought frozen phyllo dough).

Then tear each sheet roughly into shreds and place it in the baking pan (approximately 8×12 inches or 9×13 inches).

Leave the pan to sit out for at least 1 hour to allow the phyllo sheets to dry out. You can also do this by placing the baking pan in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, just make sure to toss them once or twice.

silver pot with sugar and oranges sitting on grey counter. — Prepare the syrup.

In the meantime prepare the syrup. Add the water, granulated sugar, peel of one orange, orange zest and cinnamon to a medium-sized saucepan.

Bring it to a boil and boil vigorously for around 8 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the saucepan from heat and allow the syrup to cool while you prepare the cake.

If you used a cinnamon stick, also make sure to remove it again.

raw eggs sitting in clear glass mixing bowl with silver whisk in bowl sitting on grey counter. — Mix the oil, sugar and eggs.

Once the phyllo sheets have dried out enough, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a big bowl whisk together the vegetable oil, sugar and eggs.

ingredients like vanilla extract added to orange mixture in glass bowl being stirred with silver whisk. — Add the other ingredients.

Next, add the yogurt, orange juice, orange zest and vanilla extract and whisk to combine them.

greek yogurt not mixed into orange mixture in glass bowl with whisk sitting in bowl all sitting on grey counter top. — Add the baking powder.

Lastly, add the baking powder and whisk lightly.

light liquid mixture in clear glass mixing bowl sitting on grey counter with silver whisk sticking out. — This is what the mixture should look like.

You should end up with a pale yellow mixture (see above).

cake pan filled with light yellow liquid and shredded phyllo sheets sitting on grey counter. — Add the mixture to the baking pan.

Pour the orange and egg mixture over the shredded phyllo in the baking pan.

unbaked phyllo cake with round slices of oranges sitting on top in two rows. — Look at these beautiful orange slices.

Optionally decorate the top of the cake with orange slices.

baked greek orange phyllo cake in silver pan with orange slices on top and green cloth beside. — Pour the syrup over the cake once it comes out of the oven.

Place the baking pan in the preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 to 45 minutes until fully cooked.

Remove the baking pan from the oven and immediately pour the syrup over the hot cake.

Allow the cake to cool for at least 1 hour or until all the syrup is absorbed. Then slice it into squares and serve. You can serve it with a dollop of Greek yogurt or vanilla ice cream (optional). Enjoy!

Storage Tips

This orange syrup cake will keep in the fridge for up to four days.

FAQ

Here are some answers to questions about this recipe:

What is Portokalopita?

Portokalopita – or Πορτοκαλόπιτα – is the name for an orange flavored cake made from phyllo dough. This popular Greek dessert is smothered in simple syrup.

Related Recipes

For more tasty Greek recipes, have a look at these creations and see which ones you might like to try!

This recipe was contributed by

Stefani Stefovska

Website

Born and raised in North Macedonia, Stefani started cooking from a very young age. Her family passed down their love for food and cooking together with many traditional Balkan and Greek recipes.

Portokalopita (Greek Orange Phyllo Cake)