Description
Discover how to make a delicious Greek Orange Syrup Cake With Phyllo that will impress your guests. Follow our step-by-step recipe for a sweet treat!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) water
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) sugar
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) orange juice
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) orange blossom water (optional)
- 450 grams Phyllo sheets (1 lb (454 g) or 16 oz (454 g))
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
- zest from two oranges
- 1 cup (240 ml) plain Greek yoghurt we used 2%
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 ml) salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) orange juice
- vegetable oil for greasing baking pan
Instructions
- Begin by making the syrup. Mix together the water, sugar, orange juice, cinnamon stick, and orange blossom water, if using. Heat the mixture until it boils, then lower the heat and let it simmer without a lid for 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it cool down completely.
- As the syrup is cooking, start drying the phyllo. The simplest method is to bake it. Set your oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Unroll the phyllo sheets and crumple each one gently from the shorter side. Place each crumpled sheet on a baking tray, ensuring they aren’t too tightly packed. You will need two baking trays for all the phyllo sheets.
- Place the trays on the middle and bottom oven racks and bake for 10 minutes. After this, turn each sheet over and bake for another 8 minutes, switching the tray positions. Turn off the oven and leave the door slightly open to allow the phyllo to dry out completely. Once they are dry, crumble them into small bits and set aside.
- Warm up your oven to 350 degrees.
- In a stand mixer, whisk together the eggs and sugar for 3 to 4 minutes until the mixture turns pale yellow. A hand mixer can also be used.
- Add the orange zest, Greek yoghurt, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the mix, stirring just until combined.
- Pour in the oil and orange juice, blending well with the mixture.
- Gradually fold in the dried phyllo pieces using a rubber spatula, ensuring they don’t clump together.
- Once all the phyllo is mixed in, transfer the batter to a greased baking dish. Bake in the oven’s middle rack for 50-60 minutes until the cake turns golden. Begin checking at 50 minutes to avoid overcooking.
- Remove the baked cake and use a skewer to poke holes across its surface.
- Slowly ladle the cooled syrup over the hot cake, allowing each portion to soak in before adding more. Continue until all the syrup is used.
- Let the cake cool down fully to ensure the syrup is fully absorbed before slicing.
Notes
- Ensure the phyllo sheets are fully dried before crumbling to avoid clumping in the batter.
- Gently fold in the dried phyllo with a rubber spatula to evenly distribute in the batter.
- Patience is key when pouring syrup over the hot cake for optimal flavor absorption.
