In Greek: portokali means orange
and pita means cake
Introducing Vegan Portokalopita
a classic Greek Orange Cake recipe using
shredded toasted phyllo dough instead of flour in the batter!
Cinnamon Orange syrup poured over hot cake
for this insanely delicious Greek classic!
No affiliation with any product or company mentioned below
Notes for Success
Clementine Oranges are my favorite option for this recipe since the skin is very thin and there are usually no pits or thick pith
Any orange will work great just be sure to wash the skins and remove any seeds before blending
Yogurt can be replaced with plant milk in the same amount as listed
Be sure to use unsweetened no matter which ingredient you choose
Using your favorite sugar free baking substitute in both the cake batter and the syrup is a great option for a recipe like this one!
CLICK HERE FOR MY ARTICLE ABOUT SUGAR FREE BAKING!
My egg replacer of choice is Bob’s Red Mill but you can use whatever dry blend egg replacer that you prefer
The authentic Greek version of this recipe does not include flour but rather relies on the phyllo entirely
However when replacing a larger amount of eggs in a vegan recipe we need to add structure and I did this by adding a small amount of flour
Vegan Portokalopita
Ingredients
For the Orange Syrup
- ¼ cup Sugar 50g
- ¼ cup Water 60ml
- 2 Tbs Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice 30ml
- ¼ Cinnamon Stick
For the Cake Batter
- 15 Sheets Vegan Phyllo Pastry 226g
- 5 Whole Clementines (6 ounces) 170g
- 1 cup Granulated Sugar 200g
- ¾ cup Vegetable Oil 177ml
- 1 cup Unsweetened Yogurt 270g
- ½ cup All Purpose Flour 63g
- 2 Tbs Egg Replacer
- 2 Tbs Baking Powder
Instructions
- First prepare the orange syrup by combining the water, orange juice, sugar & cinnamon stick in a small sauce pot & bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Let boil at a low simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat
- Separate the sheets of phyllo then crumple them up on a large baking tray & bake at 350℉ for approximately 5-8 minutes or until golden browned & crispy
- Remove from oven & crush into pieces~ reserve
- Keep the oven set to 350℉ & grease & parchment line a 9" x 9" cake pan
- In a blender or food processor combine the oranges with their skins *check for seeds & remove the hard stem end first, blend just to get them chunky
- Add all the remaining ingredients to the oranges in the blender (the yogurt, sugar, oil, flour, baking powder & egg replacer) & blend smooth there will be very small chunks of orange that is OK
- Transfer this batter to a large mixing bowl & add the crushed phyllo pastry - mix well by hand with a large spatula
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan & bake for approximately 30-35 minutes or when it is fully risen & light golden on the edges
- Remove from the oven & cool for about 5 minutes then spoon the orange syrup evenly over the cake. Cool completely before cutting
- Serve with optional whipped cream
I wanted to make a dessert to bring to a Greek Easter dinner today. I am not Greek, it was my first attempt making a Greek dish and I was a bit nervous. They loved it!! Success!! I used flax eggs and Trader Joe’s Non-Dairy Coconut Whipped Cream. I cut individual pieces and spooned the orange sauce over then topped with the whipped cream. It will now be one of my favorite things to make. Thank you!
Alright! I am so happy you tried it! Thank you for the feedback!