For a ready-made ingredient that’s widely found in mainstream markets, phyllo dough seems to produce a disproportionate amount of angst. Otherwise savvy bakers blanch at the idea of working with the delicate pastry sheets, and while it does take a gentle touch, most fears are largely overblown. It’s not as if they’ll shatter if you merely look at them wrong. The best way to overcome any phyllo anxiety is to dive right in with some exposure therapy, and I have a truly foolproof recipe to start you on the path to recovery. Portokalopita is meant to be broken in the first place.

A Break-Out Success

My original motivation for making portokalopita was to use up scraps of leftover phyllo dough from previous projects. Since I can’t possibly throw away perfectly good food, those random shards sat in the freezer for a good long time before being unearthed. Dried out beyond their ideally pliable state, there was no separating the sheet to make a flaky layered pastry. Instead, portokalopita encourages you to rip or crumble them all up, drop them into a baking pan, and smother them with a yogurt-based custard. Absolutely zero finesse is required, you can use up all your extra phyllo scraps, and there’s no way to mess it up.

Proof Of The Pudding

Thought often described as a cake, the texture is much denser and more moist, like a rich baked pudding. A heavy pour of olive oil creates body and substance, cut by the bright acidity of fresh citrus. My version skips the eggs, of course, and cuts the sugar and oil substantially. It’s traditional to make a separate orange syrup to pour on top, but a light drizzle of vegan honey does the trick for my taste buds. I would never claim my version to be remotely authentic, but I do confidently declare it to be delicious.

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Yield: Makes 8 - 10 Servings

Portokalopita

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Afraid of working with phyllo dough? Have random, leftover scraps that need to be used up? Portokalopita is the answer! This custard-like cake is effortless to make and redolent of sweet orange essence.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 9 - 10 Ounces Phyllo Dough
• 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
• 10 Ounces Greek-Style Vegan Yogurt
• 1/2 Cup Orange Juice
• 1/3 Cup Granulated Sugar
• 1/3 Cup Olive Oil
• 2 Tangerines or Clementines, Very Thinly Sliced (Optional)
• 2 Tablespoons Vegan Honey or Agave

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 8-inch round springform pan. Make sure your pan is watertight or it WILL leak!
   
2. Tear or crumble the phyllo dough into your prepared springform. Make sure there's a range of large pieces and smaller crumbs, distributing them as evenly as possible.
   
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in the yogurt, orange juice, sugar, and olive oil, whisking thoroughly to combine. It will start to froth up right away. Once smooth, carefully pour the mixture over the phyllo. Tap the pan on the counter, letting the custard settle to the bottom.
   
4. Bake in the center of your oven for 25 minutes. If using tangerine or clementine slices, arrange them on top now. Return the cake to the oven bake for an additional 35 minutes (1 hour total.) The surface should be amber brown.
   
5. Once fully baked, drizzle vegan honey or agave all over the top of the cake. Let stand for at least 30 minutes for the syrup to soak in as the cake cools. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.
   

Recommended Products

Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have experience with all of these companies and I recommend them because they are helpful and useful, not because of the small commissions I make if you decide to buy something through my links.

• 
  La Tourangelle, 100% Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 25.4 fl oz (750 ml)
• 
  Vegan Honey Recipe
• 
  Kite Hill Greek Style Plain Unsweetened Yogurt

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 609Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 1530mgCarbohydrates: 153gFiber: 5gSugar: 17gProtein: 20g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.