Portokalopita | Traditional Greek Orange Cake
Portokalopita is a beloved Greek orange cake originating from the island of Crete. Made with crispy filo pastry and creamy Greek yogurt, this traditional dessert is soaked in a fragrant orange syrup, resulting in a beautifully moist cake that is perfect for dessert or an afternoon treat any time of the year.
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If there is one cuisine that has completely stolen my heart, it is Cretan cuisine. Years ago, we built a home in the hills above Rethymno, surrounded by olive trees and the scent of wild herbs. It was there that I fell in love not only with the landscape and the people, but with the extraordinary food culture of Crete.
Among all the desserts I discovered, one stood out above the rest: Portokalopita, the famous Greek orange syrup cake. You can find it all over Crete, but in Rethymno, my absolute favorite came from a little spot called Meli, just across the harbor. Their version was everything a Portokalopita should be: Intensely fragrant with orange, incredibly moist, and cut into thick, generous slices. They would bake it in the late morning and let it soak slowly in its syrup before putting it on display. Miss the timing, and it would be gone ; everyone wanted a piece.
Back home, I spent years trying to recreate that unforgettable flavor. I tested recipe after recipe, always chasing that deep, authentic orange taste. The real breakthrough came when a Yaya shared her secret with me: the oranges must be gently poached and drained first, which removes any bitterness and gives the cake its pure, floral citrus aroma. That simple step changed everything.
After countless tweaks and trials, this is the version I return to every time — capturing everything I love about Portokalopita: vibrant orange flavor, a soft, tender crumb, and a beautifully syrup-soaked finish, all perfectly balanced and never too sweet.
Looking for some inspiration?… For more Portokalopita Recipes, click HERE! ; for more Greek Recipes, click HERE! ; for more Mediterranean Recipes, click HERE! ; for more Recipes with Phyllo Pastry, click HERE! ; for more Recipes with Oranges, click HERE! ; for more Blood Orange Recipes, click HERE! ; for more Citrus Recipes, click HERE! ; and for more Recipes with Lemon, click HERE!
~Recipe made in June 2025~
Portokalopita | Traditional Greek Orange Cake
Portokalopita is a beloved Greek orange cake originating from the island of Crete. Made with crispy filo pastry and creamy Greek yogurt, this traditional dessert is soaked in a fragrant orange syrup, resulting in a beautifully moist cake that is perfect for dessert or an afternoon treat any time of the year.
Ingredients
FOR THE ORANGE POACHING
- 1 Orange (Sweet | Large)
- 3.53 oz (100 g) granulated sugar
FOR THE FILO PASTRY
- 16 oz (450 g) filo pastry (1 package)
FOR THE CUSTARD
- 8 oz (225 g) Greek Yogurt (@fage 5%)
- 2 orange zest (From 2 oranges)
- 7.60 oz (215 g) Greek Olive Oil
- 7.05 oz (200 g) granulated sugar
- 4 eggs (Large | At Room Temperature)
- 4 tsp (16 g) baking powder
- 1/4 tsp (1.5 g) sea salt
FOR THE SYRUP
- 4.25 oz (120 g) orange juice (From 2 oranges)
- 10.58 oz (300 g) granulated sugar
- 13.40 oz (380 g) Spring Water
- 1 cinnamon stick
Instructions
- Before you begin – Take your filo Pastry out of the fridge to bring it up to room temperature in its packaging (about 1 hour).
- Line a 9-inch (22 cm) round baking dish like you would usually do, set aside. NOTE: For this recipe, I used my large round mold from bonCOOK placed on top of a medium perforated baking sheet.
ORANGE POACHING PREPARATION
- Bring to a boil the orange together with the sugar in a sauce pan submerged with water. Let it simmer for 30 minutes, flipping sides every 10 minutes.1 Orange, 3.53 oz granulated sugar
- Once ready carefully remove the orange from the water and slice it into a quarter (4 pieces). Using kitchen paper, squeeze the slices really well to get all of their juice out. Only keep the skin and pulp.NOTE: This will allow to remove the bitterness from the oranges. Blend into a purée with your food processor. Set aside to be added to your custard later on.
FILO PASTRY PREPARATION
- Preheat oven to 200℉/100℃, fan forced.
- Line / prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper like you would usually do. You will need 2 baking sheets to accommodate all the filo. Set aside. NOTE: For this recipe, I used my Large bonMat from bonCOOK placed on top of a large perforated baking sheet. Set aside.
- Remove the filo Pastry from the packaging and unroll the bundle completely.One by one, scrunch the filo into the accordion, starting from the short side. After scrunching a sheet, place it on the prepared baking sheet and continue until you have used the entire pack of phyllo. Be careful that you don't scrunch them too tight as we need air to circulate between the sheets.16 oz filo pastry
- Bake in the middle and bottom racks of your oven for 10 minutes 200℉/100℃, fan forced.After the 10 minutes have passed, carefully flip each phyllo sheet over and bake for an additional 8 minutes this time altering the position of each baking tray (so the one which started in the middle goes to the bottom rack and vice versa).
- Once completely dry use your hands to crumble the phyllo into small pieces (about 1-inch | 3cm). Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
CUSTARD PREPARATION
- Change the oven temperture to 350℉/180℃, fan forced.
- In an extra large mixing bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, orange purée, orange zests, olive oil, granulated sugar, eggs, baking powder, and sea salt. Whisk until smooth.8 oz Greek Yogurt, 2 orange zest, 7.60 oz Greek Olive Oil, 7.05 oz granulated sugar, 4 eggs, 4 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp sea salt
- Fold the dried pieces of filo pastry into the custard in 2-3 batches, without breaking it further.
- Pour the filo/custard mixture into the prepared baking dish.Use a spatulat to flatten the surface, without pressing so much.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes at 350℉/180℃ (fan forced). Every oven heats differently, monitor your cake. It is ready once it is golden brown and the center temperature has reached 160℉ | 71℃.
SYRUP PREPARATION
- In a sauce pan, combine the orange juice, granulated sugar, and the spring water. Add the cinnamon stick. Place it over medium high heat and boil for approximately 10-15 minutes. Set aside to cool down. NOTE: The cold syrup will be poured over the hot cake right out of the oven.4.25 oz orange juice, 10.58 oz granulated sugar, 13.40 oz Spring Water, 1 cinnamon stick
ASSEMBLY
- Once the Portokalopita has been removed from the oven, use a tooth pick to poke the cake all around.Pour evenly the cold syrup on top of the hot cake, one ladle at at time. Allow each ladle to be absorbed into the cake before adding the next one. Repeat until all of the syrup has been used.NOTE: You will see the syrup is being absorbed very quickly.
- Enjoy at room temperature as is or with some vanilla ice cream. Bon Appétit & Kali Oreksi!NOTE: This cake keep will at Room temperature up to 3 days ; or refrigerated up to 5 days.
YouTube Video
Nutrition
Calories: 612kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 67mg | Sodium: 483mg | Potassium: 146mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 63g | Vitamin A: 161IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 2mg
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For this recipe, I combined both of my favorite recipes: 1. Kataifi Portokalopita with Coconut | a Greek Tradition and 2. Greek Orange Syrup Cake (Portokalopita). If you have not tried any of these recipes, you are in for a treat! ~Nessa
La portokalopita est un gâteau Grec traditionnel à l’orange, originaire de l’île de Crète, absolument irrésistible. Réalisé à partir de feuilles de filo émiettées, de yaourt grec et généreusement imbibé d’un sirop parfumé à l’orange, ce dessert méditerranéen séduit par sa texture fondante et son goût intensément fruité, idéal pour un dessert ou même le goûter.
Bonjour nessa,
C’est un très beau gateau qui donne bien envie que je ne connaissais pas. La méthode de préparation est originale ! Merci pour ce joli partage. Bisous , passe une belle journée!
Je suis vraiment ravie de te le faire découvrir. C’est une spécialité de mon île en Crète. La méthode, c’est la méthode des grand-mères, il n’y a rien à dire ça fait toute la différence. Grosses Bises, ~Nessa