Protokalopita (Greek: Πορτκαλόπιτά) is a traditional Greek orange cake made with the unique combination of dried phyllo sheets and zesty oranges. Soaked in a sweet sugar syrup – this Greek dessert is a real treat.
Ingredients:
For the syrup:
- 500 ml water
- 300 grams sugar, caster or superfine
- 1 orange juice
- 1 orange zest
For the pie:
- 4 eggs
- 80 ml olive oil
- 70 grams sugar, caster or superfine
- 250 ml Greek yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 orange juice
- 1 orange zest
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 180 dig C (350 F) and grease 20 cm x 30 cm (8″ x 12″) baking dish. Prepare the syrup by combining the water, sugar, orange juice and zest in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Allow the syrup to boil vigorously for 5 mins. Once cooked set aside and allow to cool completely. In a separate bowl, tear and shred the phyllo into small pieces. In another bowl, combine the eggs, olive oil, sugar, yoghurt, vanilla, orange juice and zest and whisk until smooth. Pour this batter over the torn, dried phyllo pieces and mix well – ensuring the phyllo is mixed well into the batter. Pour into the greased baking dish and bake for 35 mins. Remove the pie from the oven and using a sharp knife, score the pie into desired serving sizes and pour over the cold syrup. Once cooled and the syrup has been absorbed serve with ice cream.
