Episode Recipes
Yiayia Eleni’s Portokalopita
COOK TIME: 1 hr 30 mins (plus overnight chill)
SERVES: 25-30
Jacqui Yiayia Eleni’s Greek orange cake, made with crushed filo instead of flour, soaked in orange and cinnamon syrup and finished with whipped orange-yoghurt cream and pistachios.
Ingredients List
For the orange syrup
For the whipped orange-yoghurt cream
For the tin
For the cake
Method
- The day before, strain the yoghurt for the cream: hang 500 grams of Greek yoghurt in muslin over a bowl in the fridge overnight, until very thick (about 250 grams).
- Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius (160 degrees Celsius fan-forced). Line the base of a 25 centimetre springform tin with baking paper, grease the sides with softened butter and dust with fine semolina.
- Make the syrup: combine the water, orange juice, caster sugar, vanilla bean paste, cinnamon stick and lemon rind in a saucepan. Bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely.
- Dry the filo: scrunch the sheets loosely onto a large tray and bake at 150 to 170 degrees Celsius for 15 to 20 minutes, tossing once or twice, until brittle and lightly golden. Set aside to cool, then crush by hand into fine flakes.
- Whip the caster sugar and eggs until pale and fluffy.
- Whisk in, one at a time, the olive oil, orange juice, yoghurt, orange zest, vanilla bean paste and baking powder.
- Fold the cooled, crushed filo through the batter in small handfuls, mixing gently after each addition so it does not clump.
- Pour into the prepared tin (about 4 centimetres deep). Bake on the middle rack for 40 to 50 minutes, until golden and a skewer in the centre comes out clean (about 96 to 98 degrees Celsius). Lay foil loosely over the top if it colours before the centre is set.
- Once baked, poke holes all over with a skewer and slowly pour the cooled syrup over, letting it soak in. Refrigerate overnight.
- For the cream: mix the strained yoghurt, mascarpone, icing sugar, vanilla, orange zest and salt until combined. Transfer to a piping bag with a Wilton 789 tip.
- To present: remove the cake from the springform tin and transfer to a serving plate. Slowly pipe the cream on in a wavy-ribbon-like form. Sprinkle with crushed pistachios.
Notes
For a nut-free version, finish with toasted sesame or omit the pistachios. The cream can be made with strained yoghurt and cream cheese in place of mascarpone.
