Portokalopita (Greek orange cake) has been enjoying increasing popularity recently. Juicy, refreshing and super aromatic: the dessert has conquered the hearts of amateur chefs in Germany. In today's article we will explain to you how you can make the cake yourself and then offer a vegan variation with semolina dough.
Greek orange cake: The classic with filo dough and syrup
When it comes to Greek desserts, portokalopita is the classic. The cake is made with filo dough and then soaked in orange syrup. In Greece, guests are traditionally welcomed with a portokalopita. The aromatic cake with a refreshing citrus note tastes good with both coffee and tea and is the perfect end to a festive menu.
The preparation is extremely simple and even complete beginners will have no problem. The most important thing is that you prepare the syrup first and let it cool at room temperature. It is also important that you measure the syrup - too much of a good thing and the cake will crumble. The goal is that thedelicious orange cakeabsorbs the syrup completely.
Soaked Greek Orange Cake: The syrup
The ingredients for the syrup:
- 450g sugar
- 2 TL Honig
- Juice of two oranges
- 1 Zimtstange
Preparation:
1. Put sugar, honey and cinnamon stick in a pot.
2. Squeeze the oranges, weigh out the juice and mix with water in a 1 to 1 ratio. Take a measuring cup and pour in enough orange juice solution until you reach 550 g. Pour this amount into the pot.
3. Heat the syrup, reduce the heat and simmer the syrup until the sugar dissolves and the syrup thickens, about 10 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, strain and allow to cool at room temperature. This step is very important!
Bake the orange cake properly
The ingredients for the orange cake:
- 1 pack (450 g) filo dough
- 5 large eggs
- 300 g yogurt, Greek
- 100g sugar
- 250 ml corn oil
- Orange zest (from two oranges)
- 1 TL for Van
- 1 tsp baking powder
Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 150° Celsius.
2. Remove the filo dough from the package and cut it into 2.5 cm long pieces. Spread the dough on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the baking tray from the oven every 15 minutes and stir. Then take the baking tray out of the oven.
3. Preheat the oven to 170° Celsius.
4. Place eggs and sugar in a bowl and stir until frothy. Then stir in yogurt first and then corn oil. Add orange zest, vanilla and baking powder and mix well.
5. Add the filo dough to the egg mixture and work the whole thing into a dough. Then pour the dough into a baking pan and bake for about half an hour until golden brown. To be on the safe side, do a swab test.
6. Take the baking pan out of the oven and pour the syrup over it. Allow the Greek orange cake to cool at room temperature and then refrigerate.
7. Serve with vanilla ice cream or yogurt.
The next vegan semolina cake with orange syrup has a crispy dough and a citrus aroma. It's the perfect oneDessert in winter. You need the following ingredients:
- 225 g semolina
- 40 g wheat flour type 550
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 175g powdered sugar
- 80 ml olive oil
- 125 g soy yogurt
- 185 ml soy milk, unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
- 1 TL Orangenblütenwasser
- Orange zest and lemon zest (from one orange and one lemon)
- 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 TL Backsoda
For the syrup:
- Juice from a small orange and a lemon
- 60g sugar
Preparation:
1. Place semolina, flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Add olive oil, yogurt, milk, vanilla sugar and orange blossom water. Add the orange and lemon zest to the bowl and mix well. Let it steep for half an hour and then add baking soda and baking powder.
3. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 180° Celsius. Grease a round baking tin (diameter 20 cm, 5 cm deep) and pour the dough into the tin. Bake for about 35 minutes or until golden brown.
4. In the meantime, prepare the syrup. Pour orange and lemon juice into a measuring cup. Pour 80 ml of juice into a saucepan, add sugar and heat over low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup thickens. Then increase the heat and simmer for about a minute. Remove the syrup from the heat and let it cool.
5. Remove the cake from the heat, pierce it with a toothpick and pour the cooled syrup over it. Wait 15 minutes until the cake has absorbed the syrup. Then chill.
Also interesting:Sicilian orange cake: Simply make this Italian treat yourself with whole oranges
